Punk rockers’ lawyer, 64, dies body surfing on Gibraltar holiday
A BRITISH lawyer to the rich and famous died after he got into difficulties while body surfing in Gibraltar.
Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden, 64, was pulled out of the sea off a popular beach on the Rock. He is believed to have been out in rough waters on his own.
The Old Harrovian had represented punk rock stars including the Sex Pistols’ John Lydon and The Clash in a 40-year career specialising in harassment claims.
On his LinkedIn profile the solicitor described how he set up a ‘punk rock practice’ after representing Mr Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – in 1980.
He worked for other bands including Ian Dury’s Blockheads and also acted as an advocate in a harassment case for comedian David Walliams and his now exwife Lara Stone.
Mr Lawson-Cruttenden was in Gibraltar to visit family when he went out body surfing – riding the waves without the aid of a board – off the overseas territory’s Catalan Bay beach on Wednesday.
The Royal Gibraltar Police said he had ‘got into difficulties after going body surfing at the East Side ... having to be pulled out of the sea by traffic officers who were first on the scene’.
They added that despite the efforts of police officers and ambulance crew, the solicitor could not be revived and he died in Gibraltar’s St Bernard’s Hospital.
Mr Lawson-Cruttenden had a long association with the Rock, stretching back to the 1950s when his father moved the family there while working on the construction of the Admiralty’s fuel depot.
The former Army lieutenant was a trustee and director of the Friends of Gibraltar, a charity devoted to the history and heritage of the territory.
The society’s chairman, former governor of Gibraltar Sir Adrian Johns, said: ‘ We were deeply saddened to hear the tragic news about our friend and colleague Tim.
‘He had strong family links on the Rock and was a moving force as a trustee and director of the Friends of Gibraltar. His death has come as a complete shock to us all and he will be sorely missed.’
Cambridge graduate Mr Lawson-Cruttenden, from north London, had two daughters, Venetia and Imogen, with his wife Lorna.
He set up his own firm, LawsonCruttenden and Co, which he ran for almost 20 years.
During his legal career he helped draft the Stalking Bill 1996 and the Restraining Orders Bill 1999, as well as drafting opposition amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
He appeared in BBC show Inside Out as a legal expert and since 2016 had been acting as a consultant for DG Law. His daughter Venetia is a senior associate at the firm, specialising in property law.
Mr Lawson-Cruttenden’s profile on the firm’s website says he specialises in ‘harassment, stalking and reputation management’. It adds: ‘He has conducted a wide range of cases involving harassment via social media, “revenge pornography” and “passing off”.’
It adds that in his free time he is a keen open-water swimmer. A coroner’s inquiry was yesterday under way into the death.