So, yeah, not actually a good idea to turn up outside their house.
A Cooley associate who used a fake dating profile to tell his ex-girlfriend he was “not stalking” her has been convicted of stalking her after pleading guilty.
Matt Howells, who arrived at Wimbledon Magistrates Court in a BMW convertible, is currently on leave from his role in the US firm’s venture capital team.
Howells’ ex-girlfriend dumped him last March when she discovered he had been cheating on her.
The optometrist told police she blocked him on Instagram, did not answer his calls, and arranged for her flatmate to liaise with Howells to return his belongings. When he did reach her on the phone, she told him to “fuck off”.
Howells told RollOnFriday that the Daily Mail's account of the proceedings was inaccurate and misleading, but did not reply to requests to clarify which elements were wrong.
According to the Mail, prosecutor Harriet James described how, when Howells' ex-girlfriend ignored his email asking to meet up, the 31-year-old turned up at his ex's flat uninvited.
According to the Mail's disputed account, on one occasion Howells asked to meet his ex-girlfriend at a pub, which she did, where he told her he wanted to “send her a song he had written”.
On other occasions she came home and found “gifts of flowers, a chocolate bunny and card by her door”, “bumped into him” at her local supermarket, and encountered him again outside their local tube station, where he explained that he happened to be going in the same direction, according to the Mail.
James said that Howells' ex-girlfriend felt vulnerable in her flat as a result of the lawyer's unwanted interest, and that when she once stayed elsewhere, he asked her, “Where did you spend the night? Your curtains were not closed”, according to the Mail.
After she drunkenly contacted him because she “missed him” and then dumped him again after letting him stay the night, he “had a breakdown and started crying”, said James.
Howells' ex ignored his calls several times in May 2022, but that month she matched with a man called 'Jake' on Hinge. In the course of their text conversations she "became suspicious”, said James.
The next day she matched with 'Alex', who claimed to know Howells and told her, “He's a good guy and not stalking you”. Twenty minutes after telling her new suitor that she was sunbathing on Clapham Common, Howells appeared beside her.
Howells was arrested in June and has not contacted his ex-girlfriend since.
“I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I don't know what will make him stop”, she told the court in her victim impact statement, adding that “I don't trust dating apps anymore and I don't trust my friends”, as she requested a lifelong restraining order.
“As a solicitor he is at a high risk of being struck off or sacked from his American company”, Howells’ solicitor told the court.
“He assists his parents and brother, and spends £5,000 per month on other peoples’ rent, and he volunteers with St. Mungo's and Citizens Advice”, said Kevin Smith in mitigation, adding that, “when he landed his current job there were one thousand other applicants for it as well”.
Howells broke down in the dock when Smith outlined his achievements, it was reported.
The solicitor, who pleaded guilty, was given a twelve-month Community Order and made subject to a two-year restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex or going onto her street. He was also required to pay £500 compensation to his ex-girlfriend, plus £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Cooley did not respond to a request for comment.
An SRA spokesperson said, “We were aware of this matter and now that court proceedings have finished, we will gather all relevant information before deciding on next steps”.
Let top firms and companies ping your app when they like you for a role. Whether or not you're looking to move, download LawyerUp on the App Store and Google Play.
Comments
28
15
£5,000k on other people’s rent must be a porkie pie. Cooley don’t pay that well..
24
20
"Howells broke down in the dock when Smith outlined his achievements"
Give me a break. Will be interesting to see how the SRA deals with this one. Mind you, their default position seems to be a striking off for everything these days.
35
20
"Matt Howells, who arrived at Wimbledon Magistrates Court in a BMW convertible"
is this relevant?
23
21
10.20 it adds colour to the impression of a loaded US lawyer, chill out.
34
10
“when he landed his current job there were one thousand other applicants for it as well”
So he'll be quite easy to replace, you say?
39
18
It's easy to be frivolous about situations like this but they are far from funny. Stalking is a nightmare for those on the receiving end and can result in serious assault, disfigurement, rape even murder.
And while we understandably reserve all our sympathy for the person stalked, the stalker is usually living a nightmare too, albeit in their own head.
If we want stalkers to change their behaviour we need to make it possible for them to talk about it without ridicule. These are feelings that strike at the core of their being and they need help to move on, not mockery or alienation.
26
18
"After she drunkenly contacted him because she “missed him” and then dumped him again after letting him stay the night, he “had a breakdown and started crying”, said James."
I could be wrong here, but it might not be the best idea to drunkenly contact your stalker telling him you miss him then let him stay over...
28
18
"I could be wrong here, but it might not be the best idea to drunkenly contact your stalker telling him you miss him then let him stay over... "
Sexism innit?
A woman calls her ex and drunkenly says that she misses him. Everyone is totally cool about it.
But if a man calls his ex and drunkenly says that he misses her, then follows her home, to the park, and contacts her with a bunch of fake profiles online... everyone loses their minds and calls it 'stalking'.
Total double standards.
22
19
@Detector 14 April 23 09:17
"£5,000k on other people’s rent must be a porkie pie. Cooley don’t pay that well.."
Don't pay well? In comparison to what job? Elon Musk? Train drivers? Junior Doctors?
This reckons at least £140k - although that would make £5,000 about 10 days' wages which isn't super-charitable as an overall percentage of annual income!?
https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/cooley-and-ropes-gray-sail-ps140000-nq-club
28
14
Feel soz for him TBH hope that against form SRA don’t automatically smack the strike off button
23
20
@ In need of laughs I think you've confused yearly take home with monthly take home there chap....
22
17
What a fool and clearly has some issues but it doesn’t excuse his extreme reaction. I’ve dealt with him in the past and he’s a very good lawyer with a super pleasant manner. Such a shame he couldn’t behave as calmly as he does on deals in his private life.
27
19
I though we are to reserve judgement until hearing both sides of the story? This appears to be a very one sided view of events, published by the Daily Mail 🤣🤣🤣.
Come on people, I thought we were better than that!?!
24
19
Laughable that this is a police or legal matter.
25
18
@The Owl 15 April 23 10:25
‘ I though we are to reserve judgement until hearing both sides of the story? This appears to be a very one sided view of events, published by the Daily Mail 🤣🤣🤣.
Come on people, I thought we were better than that!?!’
He pleaded guilty to stalking or harassment didn’t he? He’s therefore had a chance to give his side of the story, has done, and was found guilty. The DM might exaggerate but not even they would say someone pleaded guilty if they hadn’t?
19
18
Muto123 14 April 23 17:06
@ In need of laughs I think you've confused yearly take home with monthly take home there chap....
No confusion with annual and monthly. I gave the annual and then a ball park for 10 days. I mean giving 5k away is an act of charity and therefore generous in principle but when used as a character argument - it needs to be looked at in context - and when he is on an annual of 140k (min) - 5k is small change… I may be out with the 10 days but monthly gross for 140k annual is going to be 13-14k so 5k is in fact 2/3 weeks’ pay for this chap. Again, not holding anything against him for getting the well paid role - respect - but in context, it’s small change for him.
21
17
Voice of Sympathy.
Agreed, but surely, he couldn't have been found guilty of all the allegations reported in the DM, else he would have been given a stiffer sentence?
23
20
Sounds like they're as bad as each other to be honest.
21
19
I know Matt as a pleasant and helpful colleague. Whatever personal problems he clearly has, he deserves sympathy for what is an obvious disaster for both him and his ex.
20
22
@in need of laughs 140k annual is around 7k take home a month post tax - where on earth have you got 14k from?
Assuming he is paying close to 2k on rent and bills that 5k would take up the entire remainder of his monthly disposable. Think you've got your maths completely wrong as it's less 'small change' and closer to 'literally can't afford this'....
18
16
This is Penny and Leonard in The Big Bang Theory if Penny says no after the drunk shag.
30
16
Worked with him on a deal recently - he is a good venture lawyer; sad to see how this will probably haunt him for the rest of his professional life....
27
15
Come to think of it, where is Question Man?
26
15
The main issue for "in need of laughs" is they appear to have missed that the £5k was allegedly spent *every month* not every year. Also they haven't factored in the 42/62% marginal rates (including NICs) on all income above £50k annually. So Mr Howells certainly wouldn't have had £14k/month to play with post-tax and indeed would have had less than £5k monthly disposable income after expenses for living in London i.e. it's entirely unaffordable.
23
17
Everyone might have missed a key point here. He is at least 4 years PQE, so he will be on £200k per annum (minimum) (not £140k which is a legacy NQ rate). He’d therefore have circa. 10k net a month, so it would be possible to contribute £5k a month to others living expenses.
24
13
Cheers fellow colleagues, friends and esteemed associates for your anon character references for me…wait I mean Mr Howells (aka the philanthropist, who works for free).
17
19
@17@22:52 - what Question Man? What questions?
23
15
@Anon 11:34
I assume you were the downvote on me?
Wrong (probably). £200k salary after factoring in a probable £30k pension contribution to maximise annual allowance (assuming £10k annual employer contribution at 5% of salary) leaves £170k/year taxable income.
After deducting c.£1k/month for pre-2012 student finance repayments, that's around £7k net per month. If you think the type of person to drive a BMW convertible spends less than £2k/month on living expenses in London, think again.
19
15
Anonymous 17 April 23 22:52: I think RoF have stopped posting his comments to avoid the pretty hideous commentary which ensues.
22
12
Why are there still comments on this re salary and outgoings, that’s should not be focus here, anyone can get a very good estimate of net pay by using an online calculator. Notwithstanding I highly doubt any individual on that sort of salary who went uni pre 2012 has any student fees left at all!
23
16
Hide your shoes, hide your wife, hide your kids.
24
11
"Matt Howells, who arrived at Wimbledon Magistrates Court in a BMW convertible, is currently on leave from his role in the US firm’s venture capital team."
Love this Daily Mail-esque detail. Does he also live in a £362,300 mansion and send his children to the local private school?