Barrister Blames her Medication for Bizarre Behavior
Summary:
Paragraphs three through seven read: "But the former doctor, who retrained as a barrister, said her actions had been completely out of character."
"She said the emails had been sent during a period of great stress, when she was facing eviction from her legal chambers and had been taking strong anti-depressants."
She told Blackfriars Crown Court: “I am deeply embarrassed. I am shocked that I could write emails of that type. It’s completely out of character for me.
“I don’t even swear normally and Atul is aware of that…I do not use vocabulary like that in my normal speech and so it is quite a shock to me that I could write emails like that.”
She added: “I can only blame it on being evicted from my room in chambers and being on very strong medication. The side effects of the medication were quite atrocious.”
Barrister who sent malicious emails to ex-boyfriend blames medication
A barrister who sent a series of malicious emails to her former boyfriend after he started dating a German model has blamed her actions on strong medication she was taking at the time.
By Martin Evans Published: 6:13PM BST 19 May 2010
(Lt-Rt) Aisha Bijlani, Athul Seghul and Nicola Koenig Photo: Paul Grover / Eddie Mulholland
Aisha Bejlani, 43, who is appealing against her conviction for harassment, said she was deeply shocked and embarrassed by the content of the abusive messages she sent.
Indian born Bejlani, who last year lost a £33 million race discrimination case against her legal chambers, branded former boyfriend Atul Sehgal a “pathetic loser” and said his new girlfriend Nicola Koenig was a “German prostitute”, a “cheap hooker” and a “working class trollop”.
But the former doctor, who retrained as a barrister, said her actions had been completely out of character.
She said the emails had been sent during a period of great stress, when she was facing eviction from her legal chambers and had been taking strong anti-depressants.
She told Blackfriars Crown Court: “I am deeply embarrassed. I am shocked that I could write emails of that type. It’s completely out of character for me.
“I don’t even swear normally and Atul is aware of that…I do not use vocabulary like that in my normal speech and so it is quite a shock to me that I could write emails like that.”
She added: “I can only blame it on being evicted from my room in chambers and being on very strong medication. The side effects of the medication were quite atrocious.”
Mr Sehgal claimed the emails were motivated by jealousy after he started dating Miss Koenig.
But Bejlani denied that, insisting her relationship with the marketing executive was purely professional as he was supporting her during her legal problems with her employees.
Last year Bejlani sued her chambers Four New Square after alleging that she was viewed as little more than an “educated wog”. She lost the case.
After being convicted of harassment in 2007 in relation to the emails, she received a conditional discharge.