Yesterday, solicitor and managing director Marcus Johnstone was featured by the Daily Express as an expert commentator in their coverage of the Gregg Wallace scandal.
Wallace, who is believed to have been dismissed by the BBC after standing-back from his role as a presenter of MasterChef in November, is currently the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by production company Banijay Entertainment. Although Wallace has admitted some improper behaviour, he has strenuously denied ‘the most serious and sensationalist allegations’.
Speaking to the Daily Express, Marcus accepted that the BBC are ‘well within their rights’ to dismiss individuals who ‘repeatedly befall their standards of professional conduct’, but added that the broadcaster’s association with sexual offenders makes it ‘hard to conclude that a deliberate example is now being made.’
Discussing Wallace’s autism diagnosis, Marcus added that it is increasingly common for individuals struggling with ‘autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other challenges’ to report an impact on their behaviour in sexual misconduct cases, and that similar factors are routinely presented as mitigation during criminal proceedings.
In anticipation of the release of the independent report, Marcus noted the ‘number of accusers and their severity’ in the Wallace scandal is significant, and raised the question as to whether the case may progress to a criminal matter once the independent investigation has concluded.
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