A barrister has been ordered to pay £7,000 after he dialled in remotely to a hearing from a train in Germany.
Michael Engelhardt-Sprack appeared via video link while representing Shannon Burns, a technology executive who was fired from her job for sleeping in a sauna after becoming intoxicated.
Mr Engelhardt-Sprack, an employment and housing law specialist at Garden Court Chambers in London, told the tribunal that despite practising in the UK he lived permanently in Germany with his family.
A wasted costs hearing was told a tribunal judge had allowed Mr Engelhardt-Sprack to appear at the first day of the hearing last year remotely.
Despite this Ms Burns won her case after a tribunal found her male colleagues were also drunk the same night she fell asleep in a sauna.
She has now claimed damages of £76million against the company, which is now owned by OpenAI – the developer of ChatGPT.
Ms Burns' attempt to win damages will continue at a hearing on a later date.
The case was initially postponed for 20 minutes before Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was able to dial in wearing headphones while travelling on a train in Germany.
Michael Engelhardt-Sprack (pictured) appeared via video link while representing Shannon Burns, a technology executive who was fired from her job for sleeping in a sauna while drunk
He reportedly assured the tribunal he could conduct the case but the judge ruled it was 'not a suitably quiet environment'.
Instead of finding a quiet place, Mr Engelhardt-Sprack took another train.
Costs hearing judge Rachel Wedderspoon said 'the background noise of other passengers could be heard' and 'the internet connection was poor and it was difficult to hear the representative above the other noise'.
The case was postponed to the next day when Mr Engelhardt-Sprack appeared in-person at the tribunal in Birmingham.
Ms Wedderspoon ruled 'one day of the hearing was aborted and wasted' and Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was ordered to pay £6,767.44 in wasted costs.
Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was called to the Bar in 2014, and is described as having 'extensive experience' – with solicitor testimonials describing him as being 'fantastic with clients' and having 'encyclopedic knowledge'.
His case follows Priyank Tanwar being struck off the solicitors' roll after he lied to a county court judge that he was working remotely from London – when in reality he too was in Germany.
Mr Tanwar was banned from the legal profession and told to pay £7,500 in costs.