Stuffing two pistols into his trousers while visiting the Bourbon & Beefsteak’s urinal gives rise to a finding of professional misconduct against barrister John Bryson 

John Henry Bryson, the barrister better known for his exploits with a teenage girl, has been found guilty of professional misconduct and fined $10,000 for toting a couple of pistols in the men’s urinal at that salubrious Kings Cross establishment, the Bourbon & Beefsteak.

Bryson you may recall, got into a bit of bother in the mid-nineties when he decamped to the Gold Coast with a teenage schoolgirl who had been engaged in his chambers on ‘work experience’. (He was later acquitted of several criminal charges.)

He claims he was carrying the pistols – a loaded silver Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver and an unlicensed, unloaded Glock Model 19 pistol – because he had received death threats in relation to his long running defamation action against 2GB and broadcaster Won Casey.

(In 2001, a section 7A jury found that a talkback segment on Casey’s show in 1995 conveyed that Bryson was a paedophile, a parasitic lecher and that he had abused a position of trust as a member of the legal profession by seducing a young girl on work experience.)

Bryson explained to the tribunal that at the time he was toting the pistols he thought “people in power” were out to get him and he wasn’t going to “let a death threat ruin my evening”.

He was going to “go down fighting”.

Furthermore, his father was dying of cancer, he himself was suffering from depression plus he’d had a few drinks and a couple of pills (Valium). Naturally his judgment at the time – 4.35am to be exact – wasn’t entirely sound. 

Which was unfortunate because that’s when the Bourbon’s security manager, Mr Mew, caught Bryson stuffing the pistols into his pants at the men’s urinal.

Bryson was promptly relieved of his weapons and charged with three firearms offences.

After pleading guilty in May 2000 to handling a firearm under the influence of alcohol and of possession of a loaded firearm in a public place, Bryson got a 12-month good behaviour bond.

No conviction was recorded on either charge. The third charge of possession of a firearm without authorisation was dismissed.

In August that year Chief Judge Blanch of the NSW District Court overturned the decision on appeal, recorded two convictions but stuck with the good behaviour bond.

None of this went down particularly well with the Bar ‘n’ Grill, which on June 14, 2001 filed an information with the ADT claiming that Bryson was guilty of professional misconduct as defined in s.127 (1)(b) of the Legal Profession Act: 

“Conduct (whether consisting of an act or omission) occurring otherwise than in connection with the practice of law which, if established, would justify a finding that the legal practitioner is not of good fame or character or is not a fit and proper person to remain on the role of legal practitioners.” 

Bryson told the tribunal it was a “huge blunder” on his part taking the firearms to the Bourbon & Beefsteak. He did not, however, concede it had been an overreaction.

Asked why he had taken two firearms with him, Bryson said he had decided that he would “go down fighting” and that having the two firearms, one loaded and one not loaded, would give him time to maximise his chances.

It sounds quite thrilling.

In the end the tribunal (Annabelle Bennett, Andrea Durbach and D. Mahon) thought that the barrister had “taken the law into his own hands”: 

“For any person to do that is wrong; for a barrister, an officer of the court, to take such action, is a cause for serious concern.” 

Not serious enough to be struck-off the jam roll. The tribunal ordered Bryson to be publicly reprimanded and fined $10,000.

He was also meant to attend “further legal education” for 12 months.

Bryson has been practising as a barrister in Queensland since October 2001. He has chambers at Mermaid Beach.