Akhmed Yakoob's post subjected a teacher to "a torrent of abuse"
The UK Solicitors Regulation Authority is reportedly still investigating UK criminal law solicitor Akhmed Yakoob after he shared a video clip on TikTok that turned out to have been doctored, reported the Law Society Gazette.
The regulator had launched an investigation into Yakoob’s conduct in May 2024, but formal proceedings were not brought, according to the Gazette.
Last year, Yakoob, a social media personality with 210,000 followers on TikTok, posted a clip that supposedly showed physical education teacher Cheryl Bennett using a racist slur while distributing Labour leaflets. The video, which was captured on a household security camera, was found to have been edited by an unknown individual to erroneously suggest that Bennett had uttered a slur.
Yakoob had revealed Bennett’s name and place of work in his post; as a result, Bennett faced what she described in a statement published by the Gazette as a “torrent of abuse” for months. Her employer was slammed with 800 formal complaints, and she was advised to stay home from work for her protection. Individuals attempting to locate Bennett also reportedly went to her family members’ residences.
Yakoob compensated Bennett for damages, costs, and undertakings when she filed a claim against him.
“It’s important that technology isn’t used to spread misleading material, especially during election campaigns. ‘Deep fakes’ risk interfering with the democratic process and unfairly swaying voters. It’s significant that we’ve been able to set the record straight,” said Nick McAleenan, a partner at UK firm Brabners who acted as Bennett’s legal representative, in a statement published by the Gazette.
Yakoob allegedly told the Sunday Times that he was apologetic, hence his agreement to settle with Bennett.
In addition to his legal practice and social media presence, Yakoob is also an independent politician who ran for mayor in the West Midlands and was a candidate in the general election.
