Sex deviant lawyer Christopher Mathew Henaghan struck off

A disgraced Queensland solicitor, who was jailed for sexually abusing a girl for three years, has been struck off the legal roll.

Former solicitor Chris Henaghan. Picture: Supplied

A disgraced Gold Coast solicitor who was jailed for sexually abusing a girl for three years, has been struck off the legal roll in Queensland.

Christopher Mathew Henaghan, previously from Helensvale, accepted during a disciplinary hearing in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal that he was guilty of a serious offence and that he was not a fit and proper person to remain on the roll.

In Southport District Court in 2022 he admitted maintaining a sexual relationship with the girl between 1 March 2012 and 31 March 2014.

The now 66-year-old was aged between 53 and 55 years during this time.

On 19 April 2022, Henaghan was sentenced to five years’ jail, suspended after 20 months.

In April last year the New Zealand citizen lost his appeal in Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) against the decision to cancel his visa because he was of bad character.

After more than 40 years living in Australia, he has returned to New Zealand, according to the decision by Justice Paul Freeburn published on July 3.

In his role as a QCAT member, Supreme Court Justice Freeburn described Henaghan’s conduct as “disgraceful” and said he was likely “permanently unfit to practice”.

Henaghan was admitted to the legal profession in New Zealand in 1981 and was admitted in Victoria in 1985 and in New South Wales in 1997.

Chris Henaghan.

He held an unrestricted practising certificate from 2011 to 2021, and then an unrestricted employee practising certificate from September 2021 until February 2022, when his practising certificate was cancelled.

After meeting his wife Gail McLean and converting to Islam, they established the Muslim Community Legal Centre in Melbourne.

According to the AAT ruling by member Angela Julian-Armitage, Henaghan told his psychiatrist that he still has “unmet sexual needs” and discussed with his wife that he may need to hire a sex worker in the future.

The psychiatrist stated Henaghan should abstain from using cannabis.

“He has practised law in this country, both as an employee and as a principal for the majority of the time that he has been here and has also participated in several sporting groups,” the AAT decision states.

In New Zealand in 1982, he was convicted of cultivating cannabis and fined $500, then a few years later he was convicted in the Mareeba Magistrates Court of low-range drink driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.06 per cent. He was fined and disqualified from driving for a month.

Originally published as Sex deviant lawyer Christopher Mathew Henaghan struck off