Grieving family accuse solicitor of failing to pay out cash
this ourselves with no support from the legal profession. We’ve tried to get other firms to help us. One lawyer said it would cost us more than £10,000 just to get the case to court.
“We also complained to the Law Society of Scotland but they weren’t much help and seemed to put the onus on us to chase him for the money.
“They did not seem to realise it takes a massive emotional effort to do something like this.”
Muireann died after climbing on to a box to wave goodbye to her gran in February 2008.
She tripped and knocked herself unconscious as her neck got caught in the looped blind cord and died a short time later from strangulation,
Watson, from Kelvinside, Glasgow, who has been a solicitor for 39 years, took on the family’s case in 2009. Since then he has worked as a consultant for other legal firms. He also works as a part-time judge on employment tribunals.
Angus added: “Next year is the 10th anniversary of Muireann’s death and we just want to get this matter settled once and for all so we can get closure and move on. Most of the £ 90,000 compensation was used to pay back debts we had accumulated after she died. My wife was off work for two years and we owed money to her parents, who supported us.”
Watson also represented the family in a Fatal Accident Inquiry in 2009.
Angus added: “Watson invited us to a meeting in Glasgow in November 2011 to tell us about the compensation offer. He said he would post us a cheque for £90,000 but would hold back £ 10,000 pending payment of his legal fees.”
The payment proposal was witnessed by Angus, Kate and Kate’s parents Jon and Beryl Searle. A few weeks later, Watson wrote saying: “I refer to previous correspondence and enclose a payment in the sum of £90,000 made payable to you and distribution to family as discussed.
“I will account to you further after completion of Judicial Expenses, which will take some months to finalise.”
But the family say they did not hear from Watson again. Muireann is survived by her sister Aoife, 16, brother Cian, 14, sister Aine, nine, and brother Ruadhan, three.
Kate, who is a primary teacher, was 16 weeks pregnant with Aine when Muireann died.
She said: “I remember nothing of her early childhood because of the stress over Muireann’s death.
“Muireann was looking forward to being a big sister.”
Angus says both he and his wife suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after their daughter’s death and haven’t fully recovered. They have been campaigning for looped blind cords to be banned and have backed a government- funded campaign to prevent similar deaths. The Alloa Blind Company, who
supplied the blind in which Muireann became entangled, are no longer trading. In his FAI verdict in 2009, Sheriff David Mackie also called for a ban on looped cord window blinds and for warnings to be posted on them.
Watson could not be contacted last week. But his wife Nicola, 59, said: “He does not want to speak to you about it.”
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP Keith Brown said: “This is a worrying case and my sympathies are with Mr and Mrs McLaughlin as they continue to fight for compensation.
“I’d be happy to take this matter up with the Law Society of Scotland and other organisations on their behalf.”
Law Society of Scotland chief executive Lorna Jack said: “We provided information to the McLaughlins on what to do to make a complaint against their solicitor.
“We take our role in protecting the public very seriously and have contacted the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to alert them to Mr and Mrs McLaughlin’s concerns.”
The SLCC said: “We recognise the personal tragedy in this case and the impact court actions have on families.
“Our role is as the f irst port of call for all complaints about solicitors, advocates and commercial attorneys in Scotland.”