Ex-street thug becomes trainee barrister

A teenager from Tottenham who was lured into a life of crime has become a pupil barrister.

Tony Massiah was excluded from several primary schools and was convicted of causing actual bodily harm. He got swept up with street gangs and was found guilty of burglary.

But Mr Massiah took a fresh look at his life after a bullet that was fired at him in a gang brawl narrowly missed. He became interested in a legal career and asked about courses.

Now 24 and having completed a law degree, he will start a year as a pupil barrister at Tooks Chambers.

Mr Massiah said: "If anyone says it is impossible, I am proof that it is not. I sympathise with kids drawn into gangs but if I could say anything to them it would be that they are not your real friends if they are asking you to do a crime." The Bar Council said everyone has the right to turn their life around.