Law clerk Neve Havercroft accuses barrister Jeremy Scudds of touching her breasts
An eminent criminal barrister has been accused of touching the breasts of a law clerk 40 years his junior and pressing himself against her from behind.
An eminent criminal barrister has been accused of touching the breasts of a law clerk 40 years his junior, pressing himself against her from behind and telling her not to be “emotional” in the workplace.
Award-winning Perth lawyer Jeremy Scudds is at the centre of a Federal Court case lodged by his former staffer, Neve Havercroft, who alleges he encouraged her to dress up in his wife’s legal robes while telling her “You’re a lot taller than Lindy”.
She also claims he commented on her weight and touched her on the shoulder when speaking about consent in a staff meeting.
The details of the case, which are included in court documents obtained exclusively by The Australian, could have huge ramifications for family-run firm Porter Scudds Fremantle.
Mr Scudds says he was investigated by West Australian police over the allegations and no instances of criminal activity were detected. He claims Ms Havercroft’s accusations came in retaliation for him refusing to be her reference in an application to work for the WA Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms Havercroft, who was employed by Porter Scudds Fremantle from September 2023 to February last year, alleges in her statement of claim that Mr Scudds sexually harassed her throughout her employment.
She said during her job interview, Mr Scudds said words to the effect of: “You can’t be emotional, I need you to not be emotional if I am hiring a woman.” She claims he later told her: “You’re like my wife, you don’t put on weight.”
Mr Scudds runs the firm alongside his wife, Lindy, and his son, Jeremy.
In her statement of claim, Ms Havercroft alleges Mr Scudds asked her to put on his wife’s court robes and “turn around for him while she wore them”.
She claims he then said to her “You’re taller than Lindy”.
On a separate occasion, during a staff meeting discussing consent, Ms Havercroft claims Mr Scudds put his hand on her shoulder. “I can’t just put my hand on Neve’s shoulder unless I ask her first, like this,” Mr Scudds allegedly said.
In her statement of claim, Ms Havercroft details an incident on February 6 last year during which Mr Scudds told her that in order to be a good lawyer, she had to “act out the case”.
She claims Mr Scudds then told her to “turn around”, before pressing himself against her from behind and reaching his arm “across her breasts”.
“(He) asked to the effect of ‘If I grabbed you like this, what would you do?’ ” the court documents read. “After he had let go of the applicant, (he) looked at (her) crotch and told her that her fly was undone.”
Ms Havercroft claims the incident left her “very distressed” and she fled the office.
The following day she handed in her resignation.
The incident has resulted in “hurt and damage” including humiliation, hurt and distress of Ms Havercroft, the statement of claim says.
Ms Havercroft claims it has caused her to lose employment opportunities, including “being unable to continue to pursue her planned career in criminal law, and removing herself from the ODPP for Western Australia’s employment pool”.
According to his website, Mr Scudds is the “Night Line Lawyer” for 6PR and honorary solicitor for the WA Council of Social Services. He has been named on the Doyles list of expert criminal defence lawyers multiple times.
Mr Scudds has denied Ms Havercroft’s allegations in a defence filed to the court. He claims the February 6 meeting was actually called to discuss Ms Havercroft’s poor attitude and work performance, but she “became upset” and he had to end the discussion. He agrees she resigned the following day.
A few months later, according to the defence, Ms Havercroft emailed Mr Scudds asking for him to be a referee for her application to become a paralegal at the state prosecution office.
Mr Scudds declined to do so.
He alleges Ms Havercroft filed a complaint with similar allegations to the Federal Court matter with WA police two weeks after he refused to be her referee.
“WAPOL investigated the matter, including interviewing staff employed by (Porter Scudds Fremantle),” the defence reads. “No charges have been preferred by WAPOL.”
In mid-May last year, Mr Scudds and his firm received an application from the Fair Work Commission lodged by Ms Havercroft alleging sexual harassment. Mr Scudds claims she discontinued the application a couple of weeks later.
A Perth legal source told The Australian the firm was “reliant” on Mr Scudds’ name: “The impact (of the case) is less on him – he can retire – but on the staff, particularly his son who works for him.”
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