Solicitor defends coma writ blunder

A SOLICITOR whose process server was accused in the press of serving a writ on an unconscious cancer patient, and was subsequently criticised as acting in "an appalling way" by a fellow lawyer, has hit back at his critics.

Aubrey Isaacson, who runs a practice of the same name in Prestwich, Manchester, has complained to the Manchester Law Society about comments made by immediate past president Jeff Wilner.

Isaacson, a member of the local society, said Wilner should not have commented to the press until he knew the full facts of the case and should not have been regarded as an official spokesman."

Manchester society president Anne Kershaw issued the following statement: "Jeff Wilner is one of a panel of spokespeople which are called upon by the media to comment upon matters of law and order locally, often at short notice.

She said: "It is a matter for the individual spokesperson to use his or her judgement whether to comment on the matter and what steps to take in order to do so."

National press articles followed an exclusive banner headline story in the Manchester Evening News, which accused Isaacson's process server of reading the writ to unconscious cancer victim Roy Collis.

The sick man was also the wrong person - the writ should have been served on his son.

Isaacson said Collis senior was awake and receiving a visitor, and the process server also checked with hospital staff that Collis was well enough to receive him.

Isaacson, who has been a solicitor for 30 years and specialises in personal injury, said: "The press blew things out of all proportion.

"The process server made a mistake in serving the writ on the wrong person, but the defendant, James Roy Collis, often used his father's name Roy Collis and they lived at the same address.

"I have used the enquiry agent for a few years and I will continue to use him," he said.