You can be punished for things you say in a private email?

The lawyer who secured the multibillion-pound TV deal for the Premier League exchanged a string of 'despicable' sexist emails with football boss Richard Scudamore, a hearing has heard.

Nicholas West, a 'exemplary' lawyer who works as a TV rights specialists, swapped 14 emails with the Premier League chief in which they 'ridiculed' women with 'sexually explicit' remarks.

In one email, high-flying Mr West, a partner in London-based DLA Piper, told Mr Scudamore to: 'Save your cash in case you find some g***.'

In another, the pair made jokes about their 'dongles' and 'shafts' as they made sleazy remarks and discussed 'female irrationality'.

The pair claimed they had exchanged the messages as close friends and sought to keep the content private.

But the hearing was told Mr West, who had known Mr Scudamore since he began working on TV deals for the league in 2000, had 'blurred the distinction' between friends and clients.

The incident, which was widely reported at the time, led to Mr West missing out on a £25,000 bonus as he issued a grovelling apology for his actions.

He has now been fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £12,000 in costs after appearing at the Solicitors' Regulation Authority tribunal for breaching the principles of integrity, public trust, and the promotion of equality.

Handing down the fine, Mr Spooner said: 'These exchanges were said to have been between friends but the respondent was a solicitor and the Premier League was his client.

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