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Bent Lawyers – solicitors, Barristers whatever, they fiddle the system bend the Law and are by any standard — criminals, and what they do proves this.

WHAT MAKES MATTERS WORSE ARE BODIES LIKE THE LAW SOCIETY AND BAR COUNCIL, THEY PREVENT THEIR MEMBERS FROM BEING CAUGHT OR FOUND OUT, SO WE BEGIN WITH THE LAW SOCIETY IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT THIS IS INDEED THE CASE.

‘ Law Society fined £1 million’

Before 2008 THE LAW SOCIETY was fined a staggering one million pounds for its poor service in the investigation of complaints made against corrupt solicitors.  The Solicitors Complaints Bureau have more than 20,000 complaints each year,  The trouble here is, It is staffed by solicitors to investigate solicitors and as we know with the Police, the results will not be good because of this.  The fine bears this out, but sadly, it does not mean that things will get better for the public.  Solicitors are in the main, arrogant and believe themselves to be above the law, and that’s what infuriates ordinary people who are forced to use them or come in contact with this profession.

Complaints were found to take months, and then get referred back to the lawyer with no action taken.  Calls for an Independent body to investigate are always thrown aside by the profession and it’ s easy to see why.

‘ Law Society fined £275,000 for a second time’

In 2008 they were fined yet again for not having an adequate system for dealing with complaints and bent Lawyers, this despite giving assurances in the previous year to improve matters.  They even played down the complaints by halving them to 10,000 — massaging the figures, not unlike the Government.

In the nineties, a report revealed that almost £15 million was paid out to clients who had claimed compensation and the bureau admitted that the compensation fund would easily top £58 million.  ‘ Dishonesty is the principle reason in most cases’ said a spokesman for the bureau.  They conceded that in that particular year there had been 17,001 complaints lodged, 45 solicitors struck off, another 32 suspended and 42 were fined. 70 Law firms were shut down, and more were still under some kind of investigation.  ‘ Stealing from clients seemed to be one of the more serious trends emerging from Law firms.’ he said.

THERE ARE THOSE IN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE JUDICIARY WHO PERSECUTE THE INNOCENT WHILE PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR THE GUILTY WITHIN THEIR OWN RANKS FOR REASONS OF GAIN, POWER, AND CORRUPTION.  A CORRUPTION SO DEEP THAT IT PERVADES THROUGHOUT SOCIETY REDUCING IT TO A JOKE, A JOKE THAT INVADES ALL FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS THAT IS ROUTINELY DENIED BY WAY OF STATUTES AND SECURITY THAT IS CONJURED UP BY JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE GREEDY POWERFUL!

A Ms. Morrison was ‘stonewalled’ by the Solicitors Complaints Bureau for five years!  which resulted in the Ombudsman being involved.  She said ‘ The SCB are a Solicitors Protection Bureau in my opinion, no wonder people are reluctant to fight their complaint with them  — especially as it takes the average person 56 days work to earn enough to pay a solicitor for one day’s work.’  The SCB were not prepared to comment on the case.

Pensioner 77yr-old Peggy Wood battled with the Law society and Solicitors Complaints Bureau for 16 years and sadly lost.  She made a complaint about her solicitors acting under a conflict of interest.  She squared up to The Law Society and that was her mistake.  They knew how to play this case for all it was worth knowing that this frail pensioner could not win.  Delays, more court appearances, more paperwork, new hearings, the legal services ombudsman, more delay and hey presto, 16 years and they win. These are the people who claim the Law is fair.  Rubbish, the Law Society is a club for crooks.

‘ A Law unto themselves ‘

Indeed, this says it all and we shall be dealing with cases of  their greed concerning LEGAL AID and plundering the NHS at £800 an hour and amounting to £3 million a week.  This was highlighted by the NHS Litigation Authority — £114 million a year was paid out.  Legal aid firms such as Allen and Ovry in London were earning in the region of £377,000 a year profit for each solicitor.  Robbery at a Legal level, and theirs for the taking, and they do  — the Judiciary do alright for themselves, they need stopping.

‘ Cheating Lawyers ‘

A survey revealed that Law Students were the worst offenders in cheating, over half broke the rules in exams passing other people’s work off as their own.  62 per cent of would-be solicitors plagiarised other’s work in connection with fieldwork and essays according to Varsity.  1000 students at Cambridge took part in the survey that revealed this and said they did not have enough time to do things properly.  December 2008.

Below, we have a selection of cases and Lawyers involved.

‘THIEVING SOLICITOR JAILED ‘

LAWYER STUART NELSON was found guilty of stealing £179,000 from elderly widows – client accounts.  He worked in the firm, Metcalfe, Copeman and Pettefar in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.  Nelson took on the alias – Stephen Harris for use on Land Registry papers and forged  the signatures of his clients; all who were vulnerable.  He like others in his profession, stole to fund a luxurious life style buying expensive cars.  He received three years behind bars.

‘ LAWYER IN DRUGS INCIDENT ‘

SOLICITOR SIMON WALKER was arrested after putting cannabis into food for a youngsters cricket team.  Walker who worked in the firm Appleby, Hope and Matthews of Middlesbrough was arrested with another man.

‘ SOLICITOR STOLE FROM CLIENTS ‘

LAWYER IAN DENNING, who mainly handled divorce cases, pilfered £130,000 from accounts at the Norwich firm of Leathes Prior.  He used the money on holidays and buying luxury goods, which he said was to win back his wife.  He raided eight accounts in all before being caught and was sentenced to two years in jail.

‘ THIEVING LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID RAWLINGS stole more than £250,000 from client accounts to pay off his debts.  He persuaded his clerk to alter records in order that he was not discovered.  He flew the country and escaped to Thailand because no one took away his passport although he was bailed to appear on theft charges.

‘ BARRISTER JAILED FOR INTIMIDATION ‘

LAWYER JUSTIN WEBSTER was jailed for two years after being found guilty of conducting a campaign of intimidation against his mistress.  His girlfriend also a Lawyer, said Justin informed her he was a powerful Lawyer who could tear her apart in any courtroom confrontation.  He was arrested five times, ordered to pay £1,500  compensation, breached a restraining order, with an amazing arrogance and ignored all the court orders.  He also threatened to ruin her.  He had treated the Magistrates Court with an air of complete disregard said the judge.

‘ CONVICTED SOLICITOR ON PROBATION ‘

TOP LAWYER JONATHAN BRIERLEY was sentenced to two years probation for sexual assault on woman.  He also had three previous convictions for assault, one for criminal damage and ordered to pay compensation of £1,000. 

‘ BLACKMAILING BARRISTER ‘

A female Barrister after being on the run for ten years was finally caught.  LAWYER CAROL LENA WINSTON-CHURCHILL appeared at the Old Bailey to face blackmail charges.  She threatened to tell the employers of a wealthy investment banker that he was a homosexual.  Instead of buying a house he gave her £100,000.  She evaded capture when she was allowed bail and fled the country only to return later and set up a new chambers.

‘ TWO LAWYERS IN FUND SCAM ‘

WEALTHY SOLICITORS JIM BERESFORD AND DOUGLAS SMITH were struck off for skimming off the fund for sick miners.  £50 million skimmed off and the firm was making £46,000 a day in fees.  They saw the £3.4 billion fund as rich pickings and exploited the situation to the full.

‘ SOLICITOR HELPS HIMSELF TO CLIENT’S ACCOUNTS ‘

LAWYER DIXIT SHAH conceived an elaborate scheme to get £6 million from the accounts of home-buyers who trusted the firm.  Making himself Senior Manager, he was able to transfer money from accounts to his own.  He fled the country before he could be charged. 

‘ VISA SCAM LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR JATINDER KUMAR SHARMA was jailed for seven years for operating the  £1.5 million scam using bogus documents and false identities, conspiracy to defraud and deception.  When police raided his office they found 90,000 documents, 980 visa application files, false University certificates, academic records and bank statements.

‘ BARRISTER IN SEX ASSAULT ON TEENAGER ‘

LAWYER FAUZ MOHAMMED KHAN told a teenage girl after sexually assaulting her – I was just testing you in case you are ever called as a witness.  He was jailed for four months by Chester Magistrates.

‘ COUNCIL LAWYER THREATENS PENSIONER ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL SMITH with the Waltham Forest council threatened a vulnerable pensioner in order to suppress a payout of compensation being publicly known.  The arrogant Lawyer defended the mistake by Leytonstone Council Tax collectors as an error after having bailiffs serve a notice of collection concerning money never owed, but went ahead with a court claim despite the pensioner not knowing of these claims.  Representing his council he wanted this affair to be kept secret. Private Investigator John Barrymore found other complaints against the Lawyer when he made enquiries. We had someone phone us and they claimed there was a dark secret in his early days, but sadly they did not ring back. What we do know is that his intimidation of ordinary citizens goes back several years and this is not his first time in using his position to make threats. One questions how many other secrets exist concerning this Lawyer? — A Lawyer who will go to great lengths to silence any opposition no matter what.

‘FRAUD LAWYER JAILED ‘

BRISTOL SOLICITOR SAWYER was jailed after attempting to defraud American Express. He used counterfeit cheques to the value of £150,000, it was the  biggest seizures of forged traveller’s cheques.  He was previously fined over mortgage fraud, he was jailed for three years.  His legal clerk, Errol Howell was cleared of conspiracy due to a lack of evidence.

‘ SOLICITOR PAYS OUT OVER SUPPRESSION OF FACTS’

LAWYER MARYLIN LAWSON of  James Eldridge and Son, on the Isle of Wight had to pay a couple £82,000 for not divulging that their new home was to be next to a council refuse tip already planned.  The £112,000 dream house had devalued to a mere £30,000 as a result of the council site.

‘ BARRISTER GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE ‘

Q.C. JAMES BONNEY was banned from driving for five years and given a suspended four-month prison sentence for his second drink/driving offence.  Selected as a Deputy High Court Judge, he failed to stop for police and was found to be four times over the legal limit.

‘ RACE COUNCIL LAWYER VICTIMISED COLLEAGUE ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER BOOTHMAN decided after knowing the panel applicant had made a complaint against him, manipulated the other members to discount her application. 

‘ BARRISTER DEFRAUDS BENEFITS AGENCY ‘

LAWYER GRAEME WOOD of London, swindled more than £10.000 in state benefits to pay the monthly rent of £1,350. He concealed his earnings from three London colleges where he acted as a lecturer.  He was jailed for a year by the Knightsbridge Crown Court.

‘ LAWYER ARRESTED AND HELD IN CELLS ‘

LEADING LAWYER MARK SUTHERLAND FISHER, a main partner in the legal firm of Duncan and Duncan of Dingwall, Easter Ross, was locked up over the weekend and faced charges not specified in court on the Monday.

‘ SOLICITOR STEALS FROM CLIENTS ‘

KEITH WILSON, SOLICITOR in Jackson and Partners of Colchester was struck 0ff for misappropriating £31,000 from two widowed clients by arranging a will that would name him the beneficiary. 

‘ SEX ATTACK SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF ‘

TAUNTON SOLICITOR SIMON JACKSON was jailed for 15 months after sex attacks on four teenage girls.  He attacked one girl fifty times, he groped and fondled the girls for his own gratification.  One of his former clients claimed Jackson was one of the best solicitors in Somerset and Taunton would be worse off without him!!!

‘ LAWYER STOLE CLIENT’S MONEY FOR SCHOOL FEES ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW LARMAN was jailed for twelve months after admitting nine charges of false accounting and another 111 offences to be taken into consideration.  To fund his son at Public School he took £37,000 of clients cash to pay Winchester College.  Some of the money went on a holiday, hotels and shopping sprees.

‘ SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF FOR DECEPTION ‘

LAWYER MALCOLM TURNBULL abused the trust of the firm Turnbull Williams of Honiton by taking £185,000 to buy a farm.  Eventually it ran up to £300,000 in debt leaving his partner to repay it.  Mr. Turnbull admitted three charges of misconduct and was ordered to be struck off after a fourth charge was taken into consideration.

‘ RAPE CASE LAWYER IN TROUBLE AGAIN ‘

SOLICITOR ANGUS DIGGLE  who had served a two year jail term for attempted rape, was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, which landed the abusive Lawyer with being struck off.

‘ SOLICITOR TAKES CLIENT’S CASH ‘

DEVON LAWYER JOHN OATEN admitted stealing more than £50,000 from accounts held by the practice.  Plymouth Crown Court was found guilty of falsifying accounts and theft.

‘ LAWYER IN BRUTAL ASSAULT ‘

THUG SOLICITOR KEVIN McCARTHY was fined £3,000 for assaulting Mr. Barry McKendrick at a party.  The assault left the victim with a fractured skull.  There was no order for compensation because the victim could not be in court, he confirmed that a civil case for damages would be launched.

‘ SOLICITOR IN DRUGS SUPPLY JAILED ‘

GREEDY LAWYER TONY DARNELL was described in court as a calculating, determined scheming criminal.  He was caught supplying drugs and jailed for 11 years by the Chester Crown Court. 

‘ DRINK/DRIVE BARRISTER GETS PROBATION ‘

LAWYER ROBERT POWELL-JONES crashed into two cars whilst being four times over the legal limit.  Magistrates stunned the public when they let him off a jail sentence considering the seriousness of the crash.  He was given 18 months probation and 75 hours community service.

‘ SOLICITOR IN ASSAULT ROW ‘

LAWYER ALLEN CHUBB  hurled a woman out into the street in an outrage emanating from a ‘disagreement with a client’  Senior partner with Child and Child in Belgravia, he was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and £40,000 costs.  He was convicted of assault and falsely imprisoning Laura Harold.

‘ LAWYER STRUCK OFF FOR DECEPTION ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN ANTHONY BRAITHWAITE  deceived clients into thinking he had won cases when in fact he’d neglected them in favour of paying out of his own pocket.  The tribunal ruled that he was motivated by foolishness, which could not really mitigate the deceptive element completely even though there were no losers in the public domain because he wanted his clients to be happy.

‘ ARREST WARRANT FOR SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER JAMES McINTYRE  was charged with driving without motor insurance, but he failed to appear in court for the hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

‘ MISCONDUCT LAWYER APPEALS AGAINST DISMISSAL’

SOLICITOR NEWTON FERRERS who faced a disciplinary hearing based on his misconduct in the profession, appealed  for leniency as he was facing a divorce, and being struck off would only make things worse.

‘SACKED SOLICITOR CLAIMS DOUBLE-STANDARDS ‘

Patricia Durham Hall who worked for Bevan Ashford in Exeter was removed for being drunk.  She denied this and stated that Bevan Ashford Solicitors were frequently on pub crawls and being singled out was deliberate by the firm.  She intends to claim for unfair dismissal.  Bevan Asford refused to comment.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR STEALING AND MISCONDUCT ‘

SOLICITOR PHILLIP HUXTABLEof Bournemouth charged £60,000 an hour in his plan to steal over £3 million from grieving families as he dealt with their wills.  He charged one family £22,700 for just £4,500 of actual work.  Huxtable transferred money out of his client’s account and claim it was costs.  He would sometimes charge £1,000 for a phone call.  He charged one client £123,000 when the it should have been just £27,000. He was described as an arrogant liar in court and was jailed for three and a half years.

‘JAILED FRAUD LAWYER COMMITS FRAUD AGAIN ‘

SOLICITOR NICHOLAS BUTCHER committed the same offence again after being previously jailed for fraud it was revealed as he yet again stood in the dock for a second time.  The struck-off solicitor joined a firm called Willmakers of Distinction set up by a businessman.  The firm had no indemnity nor was it prepared to give an honest deal it was heard.  In court it was heard that they fiddled and stole from people who had arranged wills with them.  Solicitor Nicholas Butcher was sentenced to three and a half years for theft.

‘ JAILED BARRISTER TO SUE CHANCELLOR ‘

LAWYER FAUZ KHAN a prominent civil rights barrister is suing the Lord Chancellor for £9,000 in legal fees for working on his own defence. The barrister was sentenced to four months in jail for molesting a girl in his chambers, who was the girlfriend of a client. He was convicted by Chester Magistrates in 1999 of indecent assault.  On appeal it was decided that the girl lied and was prone to making false allegations.   The Manchester based lawyer launched an appeal after the sentence only to find that Mold Crown Court upheld the sentence. The Court of Appeal found that the case had not been adequately investigated by the police, and two of the police officers involved were to face disciplinary action. He launched a High Court claim for compensation.

 LAWYERS AND THE LEGAL AID SCAM

Over a 100 LAWYERS have been accused of cheating in Legal Aid claims which cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds.  The Lord Chancellor received a list of Barristers suspected of making excessive charges involving criminal trials.  The Bar Council was notified by his department.

Four QC’s MICHAEL HILL, CLARE MONTGOMERY, COLIN NICHOLLS and PHILIP HACKETT had their legal aid fees reduced; these four Barristers were not on the list passed to the bar council.

Even Mike Mansfield QC had his claim for £22,000 reduced to £12,000 by the House of Lords Committee.

Mark Stobbs for the Bar Council said they would come down heavily on members whose claims were so excessive as to be unjustifiable and amount to misconduct.  ‘ Any Barristers who are found guilty of misconduct will be dealt with and publicly named.’ he said

NO LIST OF ANY BARRISTERS APPEARED — HOW STRANGE?

We have our own little list here:

‘ LAWYER GETS 5 YEARS FOR £2.25 MILLION LEGAL AID SWINDLE ‘

CROOKED SOLICITOR ALAN PRITCHARD used the Legal aid system to ‘print money’ .  He managed to get people to sign blank legal aid forms and told them it was part of a petition to secure hosing improvements.  He teamed up with legal consultant Peter Lane and Brian O’Connor to make bogus claims which were like a production line set up.  Pritchard’s firm abused the ‘green form’ scheme because the Legal Aid Board relied on honesty rather than proof.

‘ SOLICITOR NETTED OVER £8 MILLION IN LEGAL AID FRAUD ‘

LAWYER TIM ROBINSON was jailed for ‘master-minding a record £8m legal aid scam.  Robinson’s Law Firm milked the legal aid system for six years before being rumbled.   The court heard that his firm was ‘riddled with corruption ‘ and this involved his team of solicitors and clerks.  His personal fortune was well over £3 million.  It took 11 years to complete the investigation. He was jailed for 15 years and 4 months.

‘LEGAL AID SOLICITOR IN £1 MILLION FRAUD ‘

BENT LAWYER GARY GROSBERG  along with his staff tricked the poor in order to launch a £1million pound swindle on Legal Aid.  Bogus cases were filed under invented names.  He got strangers to sign the forms saying they had been advised on a legal problem and had received an interview.  The swindle went on for five years at Grosberg & Co. in Leigh.  He was only caught out when someone noticed the similarity of the signatures.  The proceeds were to fund luxury cars and holidays.  He and his firm were charged with conspiracy to defraud.  He was also given Legal Aid for his defence — and who granted him legal aid?  yes, his fellow lawyers of course, — how about that??

‘ LAWYER IN LEGAL AID SCAM KEEPS £2MILLION?’

SOLICITOR BERNARD RISDALE-TOMBLING  who made false legal aid claims managed to outwit CPS Lawyers and keep £2million.  Although he got a 4 year jail sentence after admitting bogus legal claims worth £731,000, he claimed the CPS could not prove all his cash came from the scam.  Nottingham Crown Court overturned the CPS claim for more money.

‘ THE LEGAL AID SCANDAL STILL LIVES ON ‘

2010, AND LEGAL AID IS BIG BUSINESS FOR LAWYERS.  There was promises of a reform on legal aid, but now we can reveal that in a memo in Government circles shows that the taxpayers are paying over £1 million a month to lawyers who make vain attempts to represent criminal clients.  The report highlighted over five years barristers and solicitors have taken £50 million in legal aid for failed appeals.  £830,000 is spent every month on legal aid lost causes. It certainly shows that the lawyers and legal profession is up to its old tricks — conning the public at every turn.

THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE MONEY POT & LAWYERS

Yes, they go from legal aid to skimming off the National Health Service.  Lawyers are taking £1 out of every £2 paid for blunders resulting out of claims.  Lawyers bill the NHS £800 an hour for their services, under a compensation scheme to cover claims for negligence and accidents within the hospital.  In one case in Liverpool, Lawyers tendered a bill for £4.5 million and after a challenge it was reduced to £43,000.  Although the case was referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the firm was not rebuked over the matter — and was not publicly named?

THE NHS Litigation Authority handles around 9,000 claims for negligence every year, and a claim is likely to take one and a half years.  Lawyers often named ‘Ambulance Chasers’ claim tens of millions in costs from the scheme.

THE ASYLUM SCAM AND LAWYERS

Many lawyers play the system to their full advantage with false claims the Immigration Minister claims.  Many cases are unclear and Lawyers misuse the Law to boost the claim payout. 

THE DWP LAWYERS and the corruption that hides within.

Before exposing the central players, I will mention colleague Martin and his site DWPCORRUPTION.CO.UK who mainly deal with corrupt matters associated with Jobcentreplus, and other departments in this area.  Most of the names are on his list, and on his site you can see a bigger picture of the rot in Government.

The List of Legal representatives are;

DANIEL LAVERCOMBE, NIGEL FISHER, SUSAN DEORDON, RICHARD THOMAS, PHILIP ELVY, MRS. M.MORGAN and C. CRICKETTS.

All the above could be described as a connived conspiracy against public interests.

DANIEL LAVERCOMBE, solicitor in this litigation department is the main feature here.

This expose deals with the actions of Daniel Lavercombe and how far he goes (with the help of colleagues) to conceal and suppress public information.

A public site on the web gave out the information that Daniel Lavercombe had fabricated evidence against jobcentre claimants.  The information was and is supported by Private Detective John Barrymore in Luton, he made several background enquiries which resulted in other information to add to what was already said.  Using his influence, Lavercombe had the page removed on the Yahoo site and to add to this he got Yahoo to suppress all messages to the public domain issued by Richard to be censored, and have him warned off.

Recently, Deputy District Judge Wiggins said of this page, ‘ It’s not worth worrying about, it proves nothing and one expects this of the Internet.’

Yet, Lavercombe did see this as a threat and important contrary to the Judge, which lends weight to the fact that it was true and only someone willing to lean on a web provider to suppress it shows its relevance to him and the DWP department.  

The female Barrister who represented the DWP locally was asked several times if Lavercombe was corrupt, and she ignored this and did not answer.

Daniel Lavercombe along with Nigel Fisher feature on DWPCORRUPTION.CO.UK, Martin tells me he has been aware of Lavercombe.  Nigel Fisher is connected with fabrication etc, in the same mode as Lavercombe, and that account is fully explored on his website.  Nigel Fisher and Co have tried to silence and shutdown his site three times, which certainly points to something rotten in this little band of Lawyers.

Daniel Lavercombe cannot silence everybody no matter how powerful he thinks he is, and this site will tell it like it is and expose corrupt Lawyers.

The crumbling integrity of the C.P.S.  — Lawyers thereof.

‘ The Crown Prosecution Service pay out £600,000 ‘

RACISM AND MS.AZIZ, a prosecution Lawyer with the CPS.  She was suspended for telling a joke, and that joke has cost the taxpayer a staggering £1 million after taking into consideration costs at £500,000.  They certainly spend public money freely.

The CPS has been accused of institutional Racism by three of its own Lawyers. 

Three Asian Prosecutors – Maria Bamieh, Peter Shah and Dillip Navapurkar, say that discrimination has prevented them from being promoted.  David Calvert-Smith QC was appointed to look into the matter.  Perhaps this might cost the taxpayer another £3 million?

‘THE CROWN PROSECUTOR AND THE LIES SHE TOLD ‘

LAWYER PENELOPE SCHOFIELD who worked for the CPS lied for her Police Detective lover when he was arrested on Drink/Driving charges.  Under questioning she told lie upon lie to protect him, she claimed she had driven the the car when in fact he had been driving under the influence of alcohol.  The Lawyer from Hambledon Hampshire said her lover DC. Nigel Phillips was distraught at being breathalysed, so she decided to help him.  Afterwards when it became clear their stories didn’t hold together, she said -‘I’m ashamed at what I have done.’

She denied perverting the course of justice and fabricating a false statement with intent to deceive.

She obviously does not comprehend that lying is exactly within the meaning of ‘ perverting the course of justice  but neither do the police when it suits them as you can see in BENT COPS LIST on this site.

CPS GIVE BACK £33 MILLION TO CONVICTED CROOK

A Roger Cook Programme revealed that convicted crook John Palmer walked away with £33 million pounds of confiscated cash after Lawyers at the CPS failed/bungled the case against him.

CPS BLUNDERS IN THE MURDER CASE OF TWO FRENCH STUDENTS

Crown Prosecution Lawyers have been blamed for many of the errors surrounding the case of two French students who were brutally killed by two murderers, one of whom should have been in prison.  Dan O Connex with Nigel Farmer, tortured and killed the two friends who were in the UK on an exchange student plan, for a few pounds, computer games and mobile phones.  The Police did nothing and the Lawyers sat back in their cosy departments oblivious to what their inaction had caused.  Thankfully, the parents of the two boys intend to sue these departments for the lack of care shown to French Nationals.

THE CROWN PROSTITUTION SERVICE?

PROSECUTOR KEITH BATCH usually tries vice girls before the court, but, when the court is over he became a male prostitute himself charging £60 for sex services, £20 for a massage.  The Suffolk Branch of the CPS declined to comment over the matter, but former boss Sir Allan Green a Director of Public Prosecutions, resigned after being caught kerb crawling in London’s King’s Cross.

CPS LAWYER POSES AS ‘EROTIC ACTOR’ FOR EXTRA CASH

LAWYER CLIFFORD ALLISON who concentrates on files concerning the special crime division, advertises for work as a nude model.  This would seem straight-forward if it were not for the fact he was doing this while on sick leave.  He apparently claimed he was under too much stress to continue office work.  Former treasurer with the Bar Council, the £80,000 a year Barrister was on a six month full pay deal while performing as a semi-pro ‘erotic model’  Sir Kenneth MacDonald QC was baffled by this and a spokesperson at the CPS wanted clarification of this issue when we contact him they said.

CPS SLAMMED BY JUDGE OVER TAINTED CASE

 JUDGE OWEN STABLE ATTACKED THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE after acquitting a man brought to court on false charges presented by the police.  Landlord Mr.Davis of The White Hart in Bethnal Green refused entry to several off-duty cops who then engaged in a brawl.  Bullyboy   cops from the nearby station began a vendetta that landed the Pub Owner on several trumped up charges.  The Judge said there was no ounce of a case against the landlord.  ‘ It is outrageous that the Crown Prosecution Service arranged for Mr. Davis to be prosecuted’  He also told Prosecuting Barrister Mr. John Coffey ‘ I cannot believe this case went ahead on the advice of counsel as responsible as you are ‘ He condemned the waste of taxpayers money spent on the two day case.  It was suggested that the CPS concern it’s time and money investigating the real culprits — the Police and wondered if it was the CPS being bias and embarrassed by appearing to justify bent cops in the hope they could work together on good terms.

CPS FLAWED BY ITS OWN SELF-SERVING SYSTEM

The idea was to prevent miscarriages of justice when the police brought their own prosecutions,  Lawyers were supposed to do it better and do it right.  This is not so these days, they have got too comfortable and are making many mistakes.  Ever since, the number of forms required to be filled in for each offence has proliferated .  Many of these forms consist of ‘tick boxes,; and often the CPS and police disagree over which box should be ticked.  The file is then sent back and forth between the two services, with the result that some of these forms are lost or mislaid.  In these instances, the case is often dropped.  Police Officers are not specifically required to keep copies of the files but have found they must do so to cover the loss of forms in transit.  Many of these forms are of no value to anyone except statisticians, and the Lawyers know that.  The taxpayer could be spared the huge legal fees if the lower courts were allowed police prosecutions — the safeguards could easily be observed by the aid of an Ombudsman, and if there was some dispute it could be referred up to a higher court or Judge.

CORRUPTION INQUIRY LOOKS AT THE CPS

A MAJOR CORRUPTION INQUIRY HAS BEEN LAUNCHED INTO THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE, yes indeed, and that was launched after a series of criminal investigations were compromised. A list of police informers was passed to criminals from within the lawyers at the CPS.  The information was believed to be accessed from CPS computer files.  The National Crime Squad raided the CPS and arrested three men.  The Senior Administration Officer at the CPS Mark Herbert was arrested at his home in Twickenham.  Attorney General John Morris failed in his bid to have details of the corruption allegations suppressed.

‘ CPS – A Pathetic bunch of liars ‘

A SPEEDING DRIVER, NOT JUST ANY DRIVER, DRIVER TO JACK STRAW MP.  And that is the difference.  Lawyers at The Crown Prosecution Service claimed ‘ insufficient evidence — and passenger security at risk ‘ yet he was caught ‘ red-handed ‘  — the driver admitted putting his foot down to avoid an accident?  — he drove at 103 mph.  In cases involving the public, the whole matter goes before a court — it is not for the police and the CPS to decide innocence or guilt, but to collect evidence and prepare a case.  They let him get away with it because of privilege and the MP involved — and it stinks to high heaven.

The following members of the public voiced these opinions –  John Stevens of Woodley, Berks.  M. Danvers of Lutterworth, Leicester.  Bryn Jones of Colwyn Bay, Clwyd.  T. Brennan of Hastings, E. Sussex.  E. Rowley, Lytham-St Anne’s.  Andrew Maggs, Bury, Lancs.  Alan Riley, Radford, Nottinghamshire.  E. T. Broderick, Derby.

‘ Man on false charges threatens to sue the CPS ‘

Welder Kurt Peterman of Wellington, Somerset, was wrongly accused of attacking a man and charged with grievous bodily harm, and other offences.  After ruining his life and putting him through hell, the case was suddenly discontinued because the man who accused him was well known to the police already.  Solicitor Brian Pixton of the CPS offered nothing but the usual rhetoric.  It is hoped that that Peterman did sue the CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE and apply for legal aid too.

‘ CPS to be sued over release of details to stalker ‘

The phone number of the victim to the man accused of stalking her (Dya from West London) is seeking a judicial review in the High Court over the actions of the CPS who handed her phone number and details to the man who was charged with stalking her — she is also seeking compensation.  The CPS say they had ‘Mistakenly’ …yes, that word along with error crops up time and time again, dropped the case against the accused and acted unlawfully in failing to have him stand trial in court in relation to the charges. The case was set to be heard at Ealing Magistrates, and it was withdrawn when the Prosecutor presented no evidence……The police also were not without fault in this too!

CPS Drop 2000 cases – ‘Not ready for Court’

In 2008 The Crown Prosecution Service dropped more than 2,000 cases because Prosecutors were not ready to present them in court.  A spokesperson said ‘The Throw-out Rate’ had improved?  Some of these declined cases were theft, assault, burglary and drugs related offences, and they had to be abandoned as a result of the failings.

‘ CPS LAWYER APPEARS IN COURT OVER BRIBE CHARGES ‘

LAWYER SARFRAZ IBRAHIM from Cardiff, a senior lawyer with the South Wales Crown Prosecution Service, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Corruption charges and Perverting the course of justice.  In a sting operation mounted by the police, Ibrahim told a undercover cop that he could drop an assault case if he were offered £20,000.  The police carried out the operation due to an informant who claimed the upcoming trial of a man might be about to be rigged.  Ibrahim accepted the bribe and was arrested.  The case continues.

‘ CPS Accountability just a calculated lie ‘

A SENIOR PROSECUTOR PUBLICLY SAID – ‘ WE ARE EXTREMELY ACCOUNTABLE ‘ — ‘ Decisions have to be justified in our management reports ‘ he said.  This admission clearly shows that accountability is internal and not for public consumption or a matter for public.  The management report is a published annual report which means very little because it’s a manufactured and carefully crafted item released to the public after it is only safe to do so.  This is amplified by the way the CPS acts towards any scrutiny from outside its little kingdom – a report said it acts secretively and unbelievably slow when asked to provide information.  The CPS is only answerable to the Attorney General, who in turn answers to government.

One appalling fact is that Prosecution Barristers often receive the case brief the night before a trial or hearing or even on the very morning of the case according to the Royal Commission Crown Court Study.  A third of conferences between client and lawyer last less than fifteen minutes, and 70 per cent less than half an hour.

Everyday in a Crown Court prosecutors who barely know the facts of a case will open a trial with a standard off-the-peg reading from the file of documents because they fail to observe the case in real terms thus leading to the missing of obvious points and cross-examinations that are completely ludicrous and time-wasting. Because they don’t know, neither do the jury who are often completely baffled by the whole thing.

A Detective Sergeant was quoted as saying ‘ The Prosecutors act and behave so high and mighty — and consider everyone else in the law beneath them.  Yet they often screw up cases because they haven’t prepared it properly.  You see both prosecutor and defence lawyers in the bar at lunch break having wine together like ‘the Bar Old Boy Network’ — looking after themselves as usual.’  — ‘ you feel like spanking them! ‘

Funny he mentions spanking, we mention quite a few of them into that on this site!

‘ CPS and Police blame each other in fiasco trial ‘

AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE blamed the Crown Prosecution Service over case of villager who was put in a cell, DNA – tested and finger-printed and taken to court over trimming a hedge?  The case cost the taxpayer well over £5,000.  It took seven months while the case was being prepared for the CPS to finally admit that Mr. Brian Lenthall had done nothing illegal, which ended abruptly by all charges being dropped.  The Police said ‘ Any questions as to why a decision was brought to prosecute this case should be directed at the CPS ‘  A spokesman for the CPS said ‘ The police were given several opportunities to provide further evidence ‘  But villager Mr. Lenthall believes someone acted maliciously and they decided to pursue the matter knowing how weak it was hoping that I would be convicted because lawyers were backing the charge.

‘ CPS take Eight Months to drop insufficient case ‘

THE CPS and HAMPSHIRE POLICE paraded Matthew Price before the magistrates court and each time it was adjourned until the CPS lawyers decided to discontinue with the case.  They claimed insufficient evidence after eight months and supposedly preparing a case.  INSPECTOR PAUL SAVILL of the Hampshire Police made the decision to hound Matthew Price until he decided to post the entire story on you-tube for millions of people to see.  The Crown Prosecution Service wasted resources and public money yet remained unsympathetic and unmoved on how they had squandered taxpayers money.

‘ CPS Lawyers charge man with wrong offence — and lose all ‘

The accused admitted to 5 counts of money-laundering and had £96,000 confiscated along with a prison sentence of 22 months……but this was overturned when clever defence lawyers found that the CPS had made a massive blunder over the charge entered into court. THEY HAD USED THE WRONG STATUTE!  The convicted man no longer had to forfeit the money, nor did he have a conviction or criminal record…..the District Prosecutor for Staffordshire, Don Knapper could only tell reporters that this decision by the Appeal Court must be carefully considered before we comment further?     ……And what about the huge cost of the trial to the taxpayers?   The CPS were not forthcoming on that one.

‘ CPS Deliberately withheld evidence – three judges decide ‘

THREE APPEAL COURT JUDGES came to the conclusion that the Crown Prosecution Service deliberately withheld evidence from the defence counsel. The judges quashed the sentences given out to environmental activists who were accused of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. The judges made it quite clear to the CPS that this kind of behaviour was not acceptable.

‘CPS Prosecutors broke the rules in case’

WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE – Defence Lawyers accidentally discovered that CPS Prosecutors withheld vital evidence during a trial at Sheffield Crown Court — The undisclosed evidence hidden by the CPS was reviewed by the presiding Judge who said the 20 items of evidence should have been made known to the defence ‘before’ the trial.  Mr Justice Sweeney described their behaviour and conduct as ‘ a disaster for the Criminal Justice System – and that the Prosecution had been responsible for ‘failures’ on a disturbing scale.  The defence said if they had been supplied with the withheld documents their clients would not have had to go through this £1million trial that burdened the taxpayer.  (The Conspiracy to Murder Trial; 2012)

‘ CPS Knowledge is rather lacking quality ‘

Christopher Harper a former Met Officer in the 1970’s hit out at The Crown Prosecution Service revealing that in the 1990’s he was astonished by the lack of knowledge some qualified solicitors showed who were employed by the CPS.  He claimed they came to court in a state of being unready and unsure of the case because they hadn’t enough time. Strangely enough, this latter remark touches on a report that exposed the same thing.  As Mr. Harper says, it is a hugely expensive monolith of a service, not often capable of delivering the promises they make to the public.

‘ Judge outraged by CPS Decision to prosecute man ‘

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, JUDGE OWEN STABLE QC turned to the court and said ‘ There is not a scintilla of a case here, I am totally baffled.  What the accused Mr.Davis did, cannot be remotely regarded as engaging in an affray — he was the victim ‘ said the judge angrily. ‘ It’s outrageous that the Crown Prosecution Service arranged for him to be prosecuted; there seems to have been no police investigation whatsoever into how the alleged fracas began’  He then paused and faced CPS Prosecuting Barrister John Coffey. ‘ I cannot believe this case went ahead on the advice of counsel as responsible as you are.’      Mr.Coffey said that the police insisted on it because they had ‘history’ with the defendant.    The judge snapped back, ‘ Then it is outrageous this case has gone to court and that we have spent two days on it, it has been a complete waste to the taxpayer.’

Mr Davis the defendant, and Landlord, said the police had waged a vendetta against him because they couldn’t bully or intimidate him.  he has now been given the go-ahead to sue the police.

‘ CPS Prosecution waste of time ‘

Magistrates at Sudbury in Suffolk awarded Keith Marshall £50 costs after POLICE CONSTABLE ADRIAN CASSIDY stuck a parking ticket on a funeral hearse as it was waiting for the casket to be brought out.  The Magistrates waived the £20 ticket fine and said ‘ The prosecution was a waste of time for everyone involved’

‘ Blunder by CPS allows suspect to escape justice ‘

JUDGE FERGUS MITCHELL slammed the Crown Prosecution Service over a legal blunder by their lawyers and staff at Kingston Crown Court.  The case concerned a gang who took royal aide Niall Hall and tortured him for his bank details.  One of his torturer’s Kizzy Miller a fourth suspect walked free even though the other three were jailed for up to eight years for the crime. She had been charged with the wrong offence, which allowed her to leave the court free. The CPS said they were looking into what happened to ensure lessons are learned!!

‘ CPS identity blunder compromises witness and his protection’

The CPS and Met Police came under severe criticism after a witness’s identity was revealed to a gang that was being tried in court.  The bungle in 2005 caused the the case against the gang to be abandoned. The Met initially denied that the boy’s name and address had been revealed. Both the Met and CPS were accused of a cover-up and trying to wriggle out of what they had done. The case was settled later and the Crown Prosecution Service said they had paid £550,000 compensation to the boy’s family and covered the legal costs of £50,000. The CPS admitted that the ‘error’ had left the family in a terrible dilemma, and recognised that its actions in the case fell below its accepted standards!    The Met later reached an agreed settlement of damages and an apology for their part.

‘ CPS CHIEF OF 2004 SMOKED CANNABIS WHEN LAW STUDENT ‘

A FURORE FOLLOWED when it was discovered that the new CPS Prosecution boss had a conviction when he was a student at Oxford by sending cannabis through the post to an old school friend.  A year later he went to the Bar…..who was this Head of the CPS?  — KENNETH MACDONALD QC.  He came to the job wanting Lawyers to have more power and influence, his early career was with the Radical Chambers 2, Garden Court, where he was defending terrorist suspects and suspects in drug dealing.

‘CPS Prosecution Misbehaviour and Operation Nectarine’

DEALINGS WITH THE KENT POLICE, A MAIDSTONE COURT, AND AN INQUIRY — The CPS find themselves in trouble as the DPP Director orders an inquiry into the role of the CPS — this report however, never got into the Press, nor was it made Public — it was filed under ‘secret’ and ‘sensitive’ material — no-one ever knew which lawyers were involved or who headed them?  The CPS were not going to divulge their actions involving the CIB3 and Kent Police — titled ‘The Rotten Tree’ after Judge Crush sitting on the Bench said the police had committed wholesale breaches of PACE and other laws — he said CPS Lawyers had indulged in ‘Prosecution Misbehaviour’ in a culture of non-disclosure as they attempted to conceal a 1,700 page document from the court case which revealed police oppressive behaviour and professional misbehaviour in the Kent Police. No more was ever revealed about this document and the CPS Lawyers got away with it as usual!

‘CPS and those deals that they agree on with criminals ‘

A Report  says that even when a ‘supergrass’ tells lies they already have a deal with the prosecution that will get them a reduced term, sometimes immunity as well.  Panorama investigated with the Bureau of Investigate Journalism to find out just what the CPS kept secret and did behind closed doors in the name of ‘fair justice’  It turned out they were willing to cut an offender’s jail term by two-thirds if it was given good information? It said this was sometimes the only way to secure a conviction in some cases.  In one case a murderer was told he would get 18 years, but this was cut in a deal to eight….despite the case failing to convict because the judge thought the evidence was ‘infected by lies’ and the defence being able to pull the evidence offered by the supergrass as a lie.  A cocaine dealer had his sentence reduced from 17 years to five years, and his evidence collapsed before he took the stand.  These deals are apparently done under ‘the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005’  (Socpa)  What this tells us is that there is a great incentive for the criminal to get a deal by giving out dubious but plausible evidence in order to get that deal, and still rely on the deal when the evidence given is torn apart…..not a bad deal eh?

‘ CPS and the rewriting of the law according to them ‘

The Jimmy Savile ‘Paedophile Story’ has come as a shock to most people in October of 2012, but not to the Surrey Police or the CPS — they knew about this situation for many moons….and chose to say nothing.  Taking on ‘an Icon of the Showbiz World’ was not something they wanted to do.  The CPS say the law applies ‘fairly’ to everybody — but ‘fair’ doesn’t come into it with the lawyers at the CPS.  Despite witness testimony, they came to the opinion that they would not proceed on the legal grounds ‘it would be too hard on the witnesses’….. another suggestion they made was that Savile was too frail…….and this was followed by ‘insufficient evidence’               In a court a Prosecutor would tear a submission like this apart, saying the changes in the statement did not represent what had been claimed and they would suggest the defendant was lying and could not be relied upon……which should apply to the CPS…….but they write the law according to their standards, so what do you expect?

‘ CPS Lawyers accused of cover-up over Hillsborough Case ‘

We yet again return to the ‘Hillsborough Lies and Cover up involving the Police’ and not amazingly find that recent events have turned the spotlight on Crown Prosecution Lawyers.  The report says they failed to act despite having proof of the cover-up and kept this to themselves in the hope it might not ever be dredged up again.  Senior Lawyers were given a detailed analysis of the 14 year old cover-up but just ignored it despite the unfairness and denial of a proper outcome to the people who lost loved ones. They also allowed the police to blame the fans in order to get the heat off the police.  This was said by the Senior lawyer who launched a private prosecution against the police on behalf of the victim’s families. Alun Jones QC for the victims said that the Director of Public Prosecutions should have to explain why his department did absolutely nothing in 1998, especially considering the tampered with reports by the South Yorkshire Police.  He also said that the police were ‘heavily protected’ during the investigations into their conduct.  There are no surprises here, the deceit has been in the public domain and realised over 14 years….but they still preferred to keep things as they were in their own selfish interests of protecting the Legal Profession at all costs.

‘ CPS Release of Data on 299 could get them a £500,000 fine? ‘

We say could get them fined by the Information Commissioner, but on past information, unlikely, because this bunch and The Justice Minister can cover up or do what they like.  However, on a good note, The SOLICITORS FIRM BINDMAN’S are representing a number of those clients who have been compromised by the data leak at the CPS. and will presumably be suing them for damages.  This leak of data happened during 2010 to 2011 during ‘the students fees revolt and protest by many students’  The Information Commissioner has the power to fine this amount with the CPS (but it is now 2013 and he hasn’t, which should tell you something)   Several students found this information on their arrests and other personal data available to anyone.  The Website – The Register reported the names and details to anyone seeking to know costs and resources used by police during the protests.  44 of those students identified were under 18 and some 116 had not been charged at all.  This data Breach happened on September the 13th, 2012, and the CPS are claiming that it was an ‘error’ or ‘mistake’……ah yes, those words again!…….so frequently used by government departments.

NB: In the report it says ‘ Under the Data Protection Act there is no such thing as a mistake ‘ you have to protect data, that’s the whole purpose of this law.

‘ The CPS come down on the side of cover-up in death charges against officers’

There are no surprises here….it’s usual business again as three security guards working for G4S are not to be prosecuted over the death of Angolan Jimmy Mubenga….claiming lack of evidence….and giving the company a written rebuke…….but this comes as the policeman in the G20 death of an innocent man hit with a baton walks free from the court amid jeers and disapproval from the public….in fact, the netizens blogging after the decision had no doubts about what should happen to this policeman, and 99 per cent of the blogs were angered by this.  They now see the CPS has a comfy extension of the judicial skulduggery and police supporters club.

‘CPS ‘Mistakes’ collapse Bridgend Trial’

THREE HOURS LATE! No Prosecution witnesses for the case against Gareth Lloyd charged with assault –the case is dismissed!   A later investigation into what went wrong concluded there had been ‘errors’……..the CPS went on to announce ‘ the individuals responsible for the mistakes? have been dealt with appropriately — and that they seek to improve the quality of the service to the public!  (Case 2012)…..they also decided not to reissue the case too….leaving the female victim rather disgusted with their actions.

‘ Alleged Police Corruption gets CPS Lawyer fired ‘

BLACK LAWYER JASON BOYD’s career with the CPS took a dramatic tumble and ended amidst a scene of whistle blowing and racism.  He told reporters he was sacked by the CPS after he said police officers were trying to pervert the course of justice. Until then he’d been a Prosecution Solicitor at Newcastle Magistrates Court, but was dismissed for dropping a case of theft brought by The Northumbria Police in which he believed they had got a ‘false confession ‘ He said after reading all the file papers it didn’t ring true or fit well as a prosecution.

MR BOYD WON £70,000 FROM THE CPS IN COMPENSATION FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL

‘ Ex-Director of Public Prosecutions is accused of negligence ‘

LORD MACDONALD former boss of the DPP faced questions and accusations of bungled inquiry into hacking that was just closed, and closed in a hurry.  The Barrister and QC of the CPS prematurely finished the 2006 investigation while further information was being gathered.  Questions were not being asked about police involvement or bribes, the narrow terms of the investigation meant that it was being deliberately wound up, and in fact they declared the two men they arrested was all of the case. But in 2011 we can now see involvement of politicians, police and a desire to cover up the actual truth and settle on something watered down that leaves many stones unturned — that’s the way to conceal truth, just brush it under the carpet.

‘ CPS Barrister is arrested by Police ‘

PROSECUTING LAWYER DAVID FRIESNER was arrested by police in connection with funds missing from the city chambers where he was Deputy Head of chambers.  The report says that he has been dismissed from the St Johns St Chambers in Manchester after Police from the Economic Crime Unit of Greater Manchester looked into theft, fraud and false accounting.  The barrister was seen regularly in the crown court prosecuting major crime cases.  Police began their investigations when it was reported that there were a number of financial irregularities at the chambers offices.

‘CPS — The Leaked  E-Mail that blew their secret’

The Presence of an e-mail not meant to be seen by anyone in the public domain revealed that not all was as it should be in this little elite band of lawyers.  It exposed them ‘rejecting complicated cases to save money’….but not in the public’s interest……in fact, The Bar Council said this was clearly ‘ a flagrant disregard to the public Interest’….they are not happy at all.  ‘Trials are not being handled competently because CPS lawyers are keeping potentially high earnings cases to themselves (In-House)……..whether or not they are best qualified to handle them or not.’    The memo showed that complicated and time-consuming cases were to be given to barristers outside the CPS, because the earnings were a great deal lower.  The real sting of the memo was the message to those in the CPS was ‘to pursue the higher earning cases’

‘ Pompous Ass Barrister for the CPS ‘

BARRISTER EDWARD GARNIER QC is the typical face of pomposity in the legal profession, and most likely very wealthy too. How they get so wealthy can only be discovered by looking into their backgrounds, and it would be good if some took the time to unearth professional and personal data connected with their lives before training and being in a law office; one can find some amazing things on these people. A trip to their original place where they grew up, school history and social interaction as a student can all be a source of interest especially as it can give much in the way of character reference, because many barristers and solicitors we cover hide their personal lives and do things that they wished to be kept secret. Search the Regulation boards, Disciplinary tribunals and Law Society Records, even approach friends they had and those who disliked them, it’s very worthwhile, because the Law is currently trying to prevent access to the pasts of professional people, and it is being fuelled by lawyers and judges who want to harness public snooping. One solicitor whose past we looked into revealed he went off in school gear to spanking and school sessions, sometimes in the firm’s time and actually lied to them in phone calls pretending to be on the way to a client whilst being on call. Lawyers like Garnier would probably say this was invading his privacy and call on the privacy law to be used to protect this lawyer, and say it wasn’t in the public interest. But we say it is by way of ‘ that this lawyer was actively engaged in secrecy and deceit, and that could well manifest itself with a client or in the court room ‘ If as we have shown that he lied to his own firm’s staff while drawing a fee for being on duty, then he could just easily lie about other things of a legal nature and client, and this is a question of dishonesty and reputation. If we could not access his private life or investigate his past then he would always claim to be reputable and above reproach — and it would all be a lie that deceives the public and in turn, makes a mockery of justice.

‘ The continuing saga of the CPS in decline ‘

We have featured the CPS  earlier on this page and we are wondering when you, the public, will do anything about these bunch of corrupt lawyers.  Seemingly you are happy to go on paying tax money to support these leeches in the legal profession.  They waste thousands on ridiculous cases and whether you are aware or not, solicitors have taken the decision to go ahead on so called sound principles of law.

Firstly we deal with a trial that cost more than £20,000 concerning a woman, a 61 year old lady called Beryl Welsh who was prosecuted by the CPS for shouting at four boys climbing trees.  These boys who were scouts were vandalizing the trees, and trees are in effect protected by law. There was a two day trial at Northampton Crown Court over this matter and luckily the judge cleared her of affray.  Judge Charles Wade QC criticized the Crown Prosecution Service for even bringing the case to trial — it could have been deal with by the magistrates court and cost less money.

The Second Case deals with a trial that cost thousands of pounds again.  The case concerned three poisoned goldfish – estimated to be worth £7.  The case at Norwich Magistrates Court collapsed.  The Crown Prosecution Service was yet again accused of wasting taxpayers money.  They actually refused to say exactly how much this prosecution had cost.

‘CPS ditches thousands of cases each year ‘

A REPORT says that one in every ten cases that go to the Crown Court ends up being discontinued, withdrawn or simply thrown out.  It said Crown Prosecutors offered no evidence against 52,601 defendants according to figures given out by Labour’s Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry. She went on to say ‘That this shows in the statistics handed to me that the CPS are often messing up cases’

‘ CPS Staff cheat taxpayers of £1 million ‘

TWO MEMBERS OF THE CPS STAFF stole more than a million pounds from the taxpayer in order to bank roll a high living and luxury lifestyle.  They both received jail sentences of six years in recognition of how they used their positions to swindle the public.  In court it was heard that they formed a fake taxi firm and billed the CPS for conveying witnesses to court — there and back.  It was said that it was bringing in £4,000 a week for the pair of fraudsters.  LISA BURROWS who worked at the CPS for 20 years recruited her boyfriend TAHIR MAHMOOD who she got a job with the CPS doing legitimate work before engaging on the scam.  She worked with the CPS office in Birmingham.  The Judge said that this case reflected badly on the CPS.

‘ Cleared TV star will sue the CPS ‘

MICHAEL LE VELL (Coronation St) TV star who faced serious sexual charges all because the girl gave false testimony says he cannot forgive the CPS or their Prosecutor Nazir Afzal for putting him on trial.  He said he spent up to £200,000 on legal representation to fight the bogus case, and that now means he must sue the CPS to get that back and more for the inconvenience and the damage to his reputation.  He said the CPS conducted a vindictive witch-hunt against him…..this started in 2011 and I cannot forgive those who put me through hell.

‘ CPS blasted by family over crash case ‘

Even the Judge began with ‘ Before the start of the case I expressed concern with the Crown Prosecution Service that it was not in the public interest to have a trial’……but a trial they insisted on.  The girl on trial Rosie-Ann Stone was found not guilty of causing her sister’s death in a tragic accident, but the Prosecutors decided to go ahead with it.  The accident happened when both sister’s in separate cars began to overtake a vehicle not realising the risk they’d just taken…Jennie her sister hit a tree and was killed.  The cost of the trial was £100,000 and Senior CPS Advocate Jonathan Sharp claimed it was ‘a very difficult decision to prosecute’….Hull Crown Court heard how the family had just barely recovered from the grief of Jennie losing her soldier husband who was shot dead while serving in Afghanistan.

‘CPS and the Iceland Bin theft Case ‘

YET AGAIN the CPS showed no mercy has it pursued three individuals who took waste food from the bins at an Iceland store in North London.  The three men were all from a ‘squat’ and on their rounds to see if anything was available free, they went to Iceland at Kentish Town and looked through the bins (as many others do in order to survive — without being prosecuted).  Staff at Iceland did not know the men had been charged….and the case was about to go before the court.  But, just before the ‘eleventh hour’ the CPS reviewed their action and decided to discontinue.  Paul May, Jason Chan and William James got the justice they deserved with no thanks to the CPS and Metropolitan Police (the cop station was next door to Iceland).

‘CPS cuts witness support staff at the courts ‘

Helping greatly to reduce support for the poor; as in legal aid, the CPS have started cutting down staff it employs to look after witnesses attending court cases.  In just three years the number of people has gone down by half in England and Wales….80 witness care units existed in 2012, but it now stands at 45 in 2014.  The CPS claimed it still had a good service despite cuts and stream-lining….yet other statistics from the Ministry of Justice tell of trials failing due to prosecution witnesses not attending criminal trials….one out of five trials failed due to the lack of witnesses being absent at court.

‘CPS causes fury over £100 million ‘privacy probe ‘

LAWYER considers the ‘Hacking Trial’ cost of £100 million to the taxpayer a necessary way to explore the culture of invading privacy — Senior Layer Greg McGill tried to justify the massive costs……most of those costs being for the legal profession and very highly paid lawyers.

‘CPS Pay ‘undisclosed’ damages to former MP ‘

An apology and compensation damages were paid to former MP for East Hampshire, Michael Mates who was seeking the position of Police Crime Commissioner.  He was first investigated by the Thames Valley Police who started the ball rolling he hints.   Then the Hampshire Police took the ball and went with the CPS who were looking into electoral fraud….the Police ‘criminally cautioned’ Mr Mates while they were looking into an issue of ‘addresses’ Mr Mates had a property in Sussex besides Hampshire.  He was informed later that he had lost his bid for the job……Hampshire police have now apologised and the CPS have paid out an undisclosed amount?

‘ CPS Solicitor calls no other witness as case tumbles ‘

Drawn from a 90’s case Katie Grant looks back on a case when the Stalker’s solicitor made her feel pathetic  despite the CPS assuring her they had a good case, yet they called no other witnesses.  She was hounded and on her policeman brother’s advice logged all the occasions and activities of the accused.   The offender was actually charged by the Police with harassment and put on bail.  The stalker was found not guilty and the only guarantee was a restraining order….which runs out in March 2015…..so where is the justice?

‘Crime within the Leeds CPS’

For a department in the process of going after criminals and law-breakers, the CPS in Leeds were stunned to find that their finance manager LISA BURROWS had cleverly committed fraud right under their noses.  The fraud was estimated at around £1miliion….being amassed at a steady £4,000 a week.  She even got her partner in crime employed at the CPS too.  Mahmood who ran the taxi service which was billing the CPS called himself ‘Joseph Thomas O Neil’…the two of them were submitting fraudulent invoices for ‘taxi services’ at the CPS and she was signing off all the invoices, and no one else could challenge this expenditure.  It was said in the Crown Court that most of the money was spent on a lavish lifestyle. (Aug 2013)

‘Father blames CPS over daughter’s suicide ‘

Of course, the CPS will say ‘in no way could they foresee this,  and utter things like how sad it is, but leaving that aside, they are accused of hounding rape victim Eleanor de Freitas to the point of making out that she was a liar, who was put on trial and accused of perverting the course of justice.  They suggested that she had made up the statement, and on top of that, her ‘attacker’ seemed to be able to raise £200,000 in bringing a private prosecution. Interestingly the police investigating said that there was no evidence that she had lied, yet the CPS took over this prosecution? …knowing the accused man had spent this vast sum on legal costs! …. and why was that?  they don’t say.  The family lawyer aims to take on the CPS…..which could backfire on him, as the Ministry of Justice has a long arm and allies within the SRA, Law Society and other departments…. railroading this case is within their brief.  The family’s lawyer intends to make the case that the Prosecution Lawyers breached Article 2 of the Human Rights Act…in relation to challenge their argument that this case was in the public interest because many other cases stronger than this have been met by a refusal to get involved?

‘ CPS Prosecutors attacked by Judge in wasteful case ‘

JUDGE SYLVIA DE BERTODANO slammed the CPS Prosecuting Counsel for bringing a case to court that she said ‘ An incident that should never have come near the courts at all’  The case of two teenagers having sex, a boy of 17, and his girl almost 16 with drink involved really angered the Judge who took a dim view of the CPS. She imposed a token penalty on Connor O’Keefe, and told him ‘ I feel extremely sorry for you having to end up in this position.’  Prosecuting lawyer Andrew Wallace said nothing and the CPS obviously thought they were in the right and didn’t back down however ridiculous it made them look.

QC Pontificates about rooting out corruption and leaves out lawyers

Eminent Barrister Steven Silber urged The Law Commission to have new definitions to root out corruption. He said corruption was a national and international problem.  Although ‘ Acting corruptly ‘ is used in current legislation, it is not defined and in case law the meaning is also confused.  He recommended that a person or persons acting corruptly – a person who confers an advantage should be regarded in law as doing so ‘corruptly’ if he or she intends that an agent should do (or omit to do) something and believes that, if the agent so acts, it would probably be primarily in return for gaining the advantage rather than for some legitimate reason. This would also apply to ‘ performing functions corruptly’ in that the agent’s conduct was motivated by the hope of a corrupt reward , whether or not there was any agreement to that effect. ‘agent’ being defined in terms of anyone who has agreed to perform functions , whether for another person or for the public (or both).  — corruptly conferring, or offering or agreeing to confer, an advantage; corruptly obtaining, soliciting or agreeing to obtain an advantage; corrupt performance by an agent of his or her functions as an agent; and receipt by an agent of a benefit which consists of, or is derived from, an advantage which the agent knows or believes to have been corruptly obtained.

LAWYERS SHOULD READ THE ABOVE SO THAT THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT CORRUPTION IS, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM FALL INTO THOSE DEFINITIONS AND DENY WRONGDOING AND RELY ON QUALIFIED PRIVILEGE TO ESCAPE JUSTICE — LAWYERS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE COMMISSION’S DEFINITIONS.  SILBER PROBABLY THOUGHT IT DIDN’T APPLY TO THE BROTHERHOOD AND MEMBERS OF THE BAR COUNCIL.

More Lawyers — More fiddling on an old tune

’60 SOLICITORS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE SERIOUS FRAUD SQUAD’

A property housing scam concerning MORRIS PROPERTIES revealed that sixty solicitors were being investigated for irregularities and deals with the company.  The Serious Fraud Squad said that the scam was a complex one involving great sums of money.  Solicitors WATSON & BROWN were the subject of a TV Expose programme that was looking into the dodgy property deals and disappearing cash that was going into the pockets of unscrupulous Lawyers and the like.  The Solicitors Regulation Board was said to be looking into the activities of the Lawyers involved.

ANOTHER LIST OF DREADFUL LAWYERS:

F.D.SACHS & C0.

FIELD, FISHER & WATERHOUSE.

DAVID & SNAPE.

WOODFINES.

DAVENPORT LYONS.

WRAGGE & CO.

ALLETSONS.

TURBERVILLES.

ALMS & YOUNG.

BRODIES.

GRAHAM WHITE

Solicitors —  David Hudson, Hannah Newbury, Peter Garsden, Francis Sachs, Kevin Dooley, Chris Duggans, Tony Hodgkiss and barrister Stuart Stevens.

‘ The case of the Barrister and the unquiet skeleton’

A Barrister who makes claims to have an impeccable reputation conceals one incident that makes this a nonsense as the past comes to haunt him.

NICHOLAS HOWARD HAMBLIN, Criminal Barrister with Westgate Chambers in Lewes — the home of The Bar Council.  Some of his colleagues would say if he got away with it in the past, it should stay there, but if we are to consider solicitor James McIntyre who drove without insurance having a warrant for his arrest issued, then this must be exposed for that reason.

The photo below along with the car in question goes back to the 1980’s when he was studying Law to become the Barrister he is now.  Being on the right side of the Law then did not really figure high on his agenda, he was a wannabe musician living in Wembley, third rate, and out to do anything.  One evening he begged to have a go in the Triumph GT Sports car and having no insurance did not stop him driving it around Muswell Hill.  He might have knocked someone down, crashed, but luckily he didn’t, neither was he caught by plod.  He still sees it as a Wheeze!!

The car and the barrister can be seen in the photos below.

Now, he’s the wonderful criminal Barrister with a reputation, but not a squeaky clean one eh?

‘ THE CROOKED LAWYER AND POLICE CHIEF ‘

SHAHROKH MIRESKANDARI, described as one of London’s leading ethnic minority solicitors, has a tainted reputation involving his part in the Hinduja Passport Scandal of seven years ago and was convicted for his role in a consumer fraud in the USA. 

His qualifications are under scrutiny by the Solicitors Regulation Authority after it was discovered he had a Law Degree from ‘ a university in Hawaii ‘ which was found to be a mailing office closed down by the authorities.

Super rich and influential friend Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee urged a Judge to delay proceedings against his Lawyer friend Shahrokh Mireskandari in a communicate he sent to the court.  Police Chief Al Dizael another friend of the Lawyer, was suspended after he told the Lawyer how to balk the case and get round the accusations brought by the Metropolitan Police  —Dazael narrowly escaped corruption charges being proved against him five years previously.

The Lawyer who earns £750 an hour is named the mastermind behind a race war paralysing Scotland Yard involving the Met. Police Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur’s claim of racial discrimination against head Police Chief Sir Ian Blair.

The whole affair concerning this Lawyer, and there has been plenty of press coverage, suggests corruption at its most deepest level.

‘ Conspiracy, Deceit and Conflict of Interest by Lawyers’

This amazing case concerns the involvement of six lawyers, two firms and the Law Society, all playing their part in a cover-up that left one woman angry and disappointed in the legal profession  — and why was this?  because they all stood by and some actively cheated her on behalf of a client who fled amid bankruptcy and serious matters of conspiracy to defraud his sister from her inheritance.

The Lawyers involved were: NEVILLE WATKINS of Bolitho Way, DAVID GRIMSTEAD of Bolitho Way, FRANCIS WORSLEY of Bolitho Way.  Solicitor MICHAEL GREGSON of Littlehampton and Lawyers Mr RAFFERTY, Mr. DARNLEY SMITH and MR. WHITE of Bransdon Childs.

Our story begins with a will made by Edith May Rushin in 1977 leaving her estate to be shared equally between son Dwight Rushin and Dierdre Rushin absolutely — prepared and drawn up by BOLITHO WAY in Southsea.  It was witnessed by solicitor Neville Watkins, a name that features throughout this sordid affair.

The property to be divided was in Craneswater Avenue, and it was made into two separate flats.  Edith May Rushin was to reside in the ground floor flat until her move to an old people’s care home.  The will was quite clear and was not changed.  However, in 1988 Edith claimed she had sold the top flat to her son Dwight and this was handled by Neville Watkins using the freehold deeds.  But the flat was on a letting agreement, and the deeds showed two names, and a mortgage was being sought. This unusual transfer and conveyance was followed by the fact that Edith May did not receive an account, nor was their any document of transfer to be found concerning the top flat?  In1997 son Dwight Rushin found himself in severe financial difficulties and along with selling his house in Rowlands Castle, he managed to promote the sale of the top flat, which he would have been entitled to under the will.  This seems okay, but it was apparently sold to him?  it is at this point things begin to take a nasty turn — one of deceit and underhand dealings.  Daughter Dierdre Rushin was offered the chance to buy it, but could not use the family solicitors who were Bolitho Way, Dwight and his mother Edith May now held sway in this area.  Dierdre Rushin approached Bransdon Childs Solicitors — messrs Rafferty, Darnley Smith and White to represent her interests.  Then strangely and out of the blue, Deidre Rushin discovered that the top flat was to be repossessed by the Mortgage Company Portman Building Society.  Dierdre Rushin applied to the TSB for a loan and they requested an inspection of the deeds and a copy of the transfer document?   Solicitor Neville Watkins of Bolitho Way ignored all requests despite his involvement with the property and the family.  It later transpired that Portman held the deeds.  The next twist in this tale arrives in the guise of Miss Valerie Billet, a secretary employed by Bransdon Childs (who were supposedly meant to represent Dierdre Rushin’s interests).  ‘Close friend’ solicitor Michael Gregson of Littlehampton arranged a private mortgage on her behalf — miss Billet alleged this was a cash sum.  Dierdre Rushin had been more or less gazumped to all intent and purposes.  Yet what of Bransdon Childs? who were they looking out for? not their client obviously.  Neville Watkins of Bolitho Way remained aloof thus hindering any transparency in these proceedings.  It also transpired that in 1997 Watkins had drawn up a transfer document concerning the ground floor flat which suddenly deprived Dierdre Rushin of half of her inheritance — she was only going to be able to claim half of the flat whilst Dwight’s son Adam and daughter Samantha held claim to a quarter each.  This was drawn up in Dec 1997. Dwight Rushin had effectively got his hands on three quarters of the property with the help of Watkins despite a will being in existence that could not fulfil its function namely — for the property to be shared equally and absolutely as it should.  Bolitho Way and Watkins in particular must have known they were now beginning to cheat Dierdre Rushin out of her right to have a fair share, and this does not come close to being a fair share.  Returning to the top flat situation Dierdre recalls in a conversation with miss Billet that she admitted there was no lease or anything else in her possession?   In respect of the ground floor flat Bolitho Way and Watkins admit in a letter to Portsmouth Council in 2002 that prior to the transfer of 1997, Dierdre Rushin held full title alone on the flat.  Things got worse and Mr Watkins refused to answer questions on the irregular way things had been dealt with and Bransdon Childs suggested to Dierdre that she contact the Law Society.  They responded by saying ‘she was not a client of Bolitho Way’ and refused to act.  They could have advised her to complain to the solicitors complaints bureau, but they chose not to.  Helpful — No, Responsibility — Nil.  It is quite obvious at this point that Bransdon Childs were inadequate and bias, and that the Law Society had decided to look after one of their own.  Dierdre then faced mounting costs regarding property repairs and applied for a council grant.  Mr Rowe requested the deeds.  He obtained confirmation that the lower flat owner was indeed Dierdre Rushin and solicitor Francis Worsley of Bolitho Way had signed this letter confirming it.  Contradiction soon followed by Bolitho solicitor David Grimstead, he phoned  and declared their had been a mistake —not the first?  His behaviour soon turned aggressive and unprofessional towards Dierdre Rushin and he blocked her from speaking to Francis Worsley.  This was soon followed by the change of mood by miss Billet who later refused to pay her half of the property insurance.  It is apparent they were all successfully ganging up against Dierdre Rushin because she wanted the truth, and they were not prepared to do that.  Since that time recluse son Dwight contacted his sister to announce that he still owned the top flat, but how can that be?  Dierdre had to settle the matter of the quarter shares and pay out sums to Adam and Samantha who live abroad.  She paid out £15,000 to keep the property up to standard, yet received nothing from Dwight throughout the many years.  She paid legal fees and hoped she would get to the truth without success.

The truth is — she was cheated out of her inheritance.

The villains of the piece are the solicitors who acted unprofessionally at best and her brother who had them on his side, — it could have never succeeded without their help.  These so called professionals knew what was going on but greed got the better of them.

ANOTHER CASE INVOLVING BOLITHO WAY –

‘ Lawyer David Grimstead accused of being inept and more ‘

An establishment judge would probably say the above case involving Dierdre Rushin was based on a mistake, it always seems to be an error when solicitors are involved and mess up.  However, if he were to see this second case against solicitor DAVID GRIMSTEAD at BOLITHO WAY it surely amounts to evidence of wrong-doing and probable cause to suspect corruption within this law firm who mainly deal with conveyancing and funding.  This solicitor who features in the previous case is described as ‘ Inept’ on the site ‘solicitors from hell ‘ and it goes on to to highlight the solicitor’s dealings, and an amount of £40,000 deemed to be lost? or just missing and an irate client who obviously thinks it has been stolen.  The site says that a second victim has come forward to complain of this solicitor and Bolitho Way over an issue of money.  You can find their contact in LINKS and view the full article.

As to the Law Society — you can read about them at the top of the page.

Where there is money to be made, you will always find an interested Lawyer!!!

‘ Solicitor in breach of conduct is suspended ‘

LAWYER STEPHEN OUTRAM of Boston, Lincolnshire, repeatedly failed to carry out undertakings and misled the Professional Standards Body in that he did not submit or hold a ‘ complaints register’ at his practice.  In addition to the breach he failed to give clients written information about costs.  It was clear to the board that he deliberately ignored the Regulator and Law Society in this matter.  He was ordered to pay £1,288 costs and suspended.

‘ Solicitor is fined over conflict of interests ‘

LAWYER SANTOKH CHHOKAR of Middlesex, London, was fined a total of £12,000 by the solicitors disciplinary tribunal over his handing and misuse of his client bank account, which he permitted to be utilized by clients to receive monies not of a legal nature — which constituted a conflict of interest and breach of the regulations.

‘ One Lawyer struck off — Second Lawyer Suspended ‘

SOLICITOR MILES KENTISH of London was struck off for misappropriating client money and dishonesty, and SOLICITOR SHABAZ ALI was suspended for one year for false accounting and being a party to the dishonesty of his partner in the firm.  Kentish was making improper withdrawals from client accounts and breached accounting requirements over a long period.  Ali it was stated, knew what was going on but kept quiet about it and the board decided that his inaction amounted to co-operation in the fraud, but not the main instigator of the dishonest practise that Miles Kentish was actively pursuing.  Kentish was ordered to pay £12,000 costs and Ali was ordered to pay £5,000 for his part in the criminal activity.

Convicted Solicitor pleas for reinstatement ‘

LAWYER (CAL) CARL HARDING of South East London applied to the Solicitors tribunal to have an existing order revoked after a period of time had elapsed.  This came about because of a criminal conviction over an offence under the trades description in 1999.

‘ Lawyer suspended for six months ‘

SOLICITOR BOON LOW of DANNY LOW & ASSOCIATES of Bear St, London, was suspended for six months and ordered to pay costs of £10,225.  This was the second time the solicitor had appeared before the tribunal — it was heard that he breached a catalogue of rules, told lies to the Regulator, and used client money in an improper way contrary to required accounting.

‘ Solicitors breach rules of interest ‘

LAWYERS ANTHONY JOHN COLE and ERIC L SKINNER of Rayleigh in Essex, were ordered to pay £12,000 in costs after being found guilty of breaching the ‘ conflict of interest’ rule and allowing non-client money to be deposited in their client account.

‘ Lawyer and Clerk in Company Deceit ‘

SOLICITOR YVONNE SHANTI of Abingdon near Oxford, was struck off for misappropriating client funds and acting dishonestly.  Statements she had given to an investigating officer, conflicted with the actual truth and was revealed to be false.  She was also aware that her husband MAYSON SHANTI the solicitor’s clerk, had a criminal record and was giving the impression that he was indeed a solicitor to clients.  He was allowing payments out of the firm’s client account to be made to himself, knowing that other cheques paid in to cover it would be dishonoured.  Solicitor Yvonne Shanti allowed misleading and inaccurate publicity to be featured on their firm website.  She was ordered to pay £7,000 in costs, and her husband clerk was ordered to pay £3,500.

‘ Dishonest Solicitor is removed ‘

LAWYER ANNABELLA LAI-BURKE of Borden, Hampshire, was struck off the solicitors roll and ordered to pay costs of £28,121 after the tribunal found her guilty of dishonesty and bringing the profession into disrepute.  It was stated that she withdrew money from client accounts for her own benefit, denied access to documents required by the Law Society investigation officer.  She had failed to remedy account breaches and was guilty of misconduct within the profession.

‘ Boiler Room Scam Lawyers ‘

SOLICITORS ADRIAN SAM and JOHN MARTIN, the London firm of solicitors who created ‘Apex Equities’, a company who carried out investment scams without authorization in 2000’2001 concerning the dealing in illegal shares were bankrupted by the FSA.  Solicitor John Martin ignored an Appeal Court ruling in 2005 when the company was ordered to pay £360,000 to 63 investors.  John Martin was made bankrupt and Adrian Sam was pursued in connection with the same order and the law firm ADRIAN SAM & CO.

‘ Solicitor struck off for dishonesty ‘

LAWYER ALLEN PHILIP ELLIOTT was found unfit and dishonest by the FSA and Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.  He was found guilty of misconduct involving secret profits and fees while operating a mortgage investment scheme.  It added up to hundreds of thousands of pounds over a three year period.  Previous history revealed that Elliott qualified as a solicitor in Australia in 1988, where he was found guilty of unprofessional conduct in connection with other ‘ mortgage scams’ — yet was allowed to continue in practice until 1990 when his law firm failed.  He was declared bankrupt in 1995 — and came to the UK and set up in London — failing to mention that he was an undischarged bankrupt.  This allowed him to repeat the same scams here of cheating and deceit.

‘ Lawyer fined and Suspended ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL MARTIN HARRIS of Sutton in Surrey, was fined £1,000 and suspended indefinitely by the solicitors regulation authority for failing to deliver proper accounting and take proper steps to co-operate in such a task as required.  He had been previously fined in 2005 and 2007, so the authority viewed the matter as serious enough to suspend the lawyer this time.

‘ Solicitor lied to client and court ‘

LAWYER MATTHEW K SPROSTON of Knutsford in Cheshire was struck off the roll and ordered to pay costs after a tribunal heard that he had practised without a certificate, failed to keep accurate client accounts, and lied to a client in relation to a court case in the Northwich County Court related to a claim in their name — where no such hearing existed.  He provided the client with a false case number knowing this to be a lie.  He also had an outstanding judgement made against him for non-payment in another County Court.

‘The Sexual Harassment Lawyer is called to Resign ‘

Solicitor Tony Collins was urged to resign by his firm Edward Lewis the Commercial Law Specialists in the city of London.

The £700,000 solicitor was accused by three female employees of sexual harassment in allegations made by partner Susannah Quinn.  It was revealed that two former employees received substantial out-of-court settlements after bringing cases against Mr. Collins. 

The Personal Injuries Lawyer who is said to be the firm’s biggest earner, was the subject of a special hearing by the 200 – strong firm.  It was the third case, and that of Miss Quinn that brought the matter to a halt by the firm who had up to then paid out secretary Wendy Griffiths £10,000 without admitting liability.

A spokesman for the firm said ‘ I am confident that the recommendation for his removal will be successful.’

‘ Solicitor breaches the rules and deceived clients ‘

SOLICITOR COLIN SIMPSON admitted sole responsibility for deceiving clients and not keeping accurate records according to a tribunal.  This enabled the other solicitors in the firm that were also accused of being implicated – GRAHAM FRASER-STEELE, MICHAEL J BERRY, JASON BRADY, MARK CORNELL. RICHARD N HARRIS, CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTONE, JUDITH SIMPSON, DAVID W G WHIPPS and MICHAEL WRIGHT to avoid scrutiny or questions as the board withdrew allegations against them solely on accepting a guilty plea by Colin Simpson.  Simpson admitted to misleading clients at his firm and was fined £27,500.

‘ Lawyer guilty of Professional Misconduct ‘

SOLICITOR ASHTON LLOYD DOHERTY of London was fined a total of £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,000 after a tribunal  heard that he had represented a football player and paid a substantial sum to a third party — an unlicensed agent to act for the player under F.A. rules.  This put the lawyer in the position of ‘ acting as a front’ in these dealings contrary to professional conduct.

‘ Solicitor guilty of Misconduct ‘

LAWYER PETER ZIMAN of London was fined £5,000 and £4,359 in costs.  Ziman had appeared before the SDT on two previous occasions in 1998 and 2000.  It was stated that he failed to act in the best interests of his clients and achieve a proper or acceptable standard of work expected.  One of his clients, a Mr.M was awarded compensation because of the breaches of the solicitors practice code.

‘ Lawyer in improper use of client’s funds ‘

SOLICITOR THOMAS W.J. LOCO was struck off by a tribunal for professional incompetency and improper use of clients accounts at the Cheshire Law Firm where he practised.  He made several unauthorized payments from client accounts and used the money improperly which led to a catalogue of failures that did not protect the client involving land registrations.  He was struck off and ordered to pay £8,000 costs.

‘ Solicitor in dirty tricks loses case ‘

LAWYER IAN TAYLOR –Taunton Deane Council, used tactics to win and lost when he replaced himself in a County Court action with other solicitors in order to bring pressures of  superiority to bring down the opposition.  The claimant had no such backing, yet Mr. Taylor tried this move after making several attempts to have the case thrown out.  He said he would get the court’s attention by declaring the action as ‘premature’ and an abuse of process.  Deputy District Judge Van Oppen questioned Mr. Taylor’s decision to change solicitors and was not convinced of why it was necessary.  He asked the solicitor why there had been no application or mention to the court of this move, and was told there had been delays and an error in paperwork at the department.

The Judge awarded the plaintiff £233 and costs were made out against the council. 

‘ Money-laundering solicitors were reckless ‘

SOLICITORS – SIMON HALL, CHARLES ROBINSON, NIMA ZAHED and RODNEY WHISTON-DEW were fined a total of £35,000 by the SDT after being found guilty of money laundering, false accounting and dealing with client accounts in a reckless manner.  The four lawyers of the London firm were also fined £2,000 each and had to contribute £8,750 to the major fine imposed.  The tribunal said that the firm lacked supervision and did not have client interests in mind, as they concentrated on dishonest practices.

‘ Lawyers fiddle around with client accounts ‘

SOLICITORS MARK BRONZITE of Dorset, and MARGARET HARRISS of Southampton, were joint partners in the firm – WINDSOR BRONZITE.  It was revealed that Mark Bronzite dishonestly covered up dealings in client accounts and dishonestly misused client monies.  Cash was transferred from client accounts to an office account without any billing or notification.  They also failed to provide adequate accounts while in partnership even though Mark Bronzite often claimed sole leadership in the operation of the firm.  He permitted conveyancing transactions to be completed when there was insufficient funds, and so he utilized other client accounts to support them.  Solicitor Margaret Harriss was found guilty of being a willing partner to the misconduct and had permitted the deception to continue.  Mark Bronzite was struck off and ordered to pay £84,000 costs and Margaret Harriss was suspended for six months and ordered to pay £7,500 costs.

‘ Solicitors in Mortgage Fraud ‘

LAWYERS PHILIP DOUGLAS of Sudbury, and TREVOR L ROBINSON faced a tribunal for acting fraudulently in connection with mortgage transactions carried out by them in their firm.  Solicitor Douglas was suspended indefinitely and Robinson was fined £10,000.  Both solicitors had engaged in carrying out a conflict of interests and they both entered into transactions on many occasions for both lender and buyer in property transactions knowing this to be against the regulations – yet kept it secret knowing they would not get consent to carry this out legally.

‘ Dishonest Solicitor takes client cash ‘

LAWYER MARTIN DAVY of Warrington, Cheshire, was found guilty of using client accounts for his own purposes and was struck off and ordered to pay 323,385.  It was revealed that he concealed matters of gross negligence knowing that he was not entitled to dip into client accounts to get himself out of financial trouble.  The tribunal did not accept his argument that he was only borrowing it?

‘ Lawyer struck off for Deception ‘

SOLICITOR IWONA DETTLAFF of Croydon was ordered to pay costs of £12,620 and struck off as a result of lying to clients, making false statements and false accounting.  It was stated that she misled clients, retained clients money in special office accounts to which she was not entitled to.  She wrote out cheques claiming they had been sent to clients when they had not.  She continued in a ‘ secrecy’ towards clients and hid matters form them in order to continue with her deception.

‘ Dishonesty among Lawyers is Rife ‘

The Law Society and Solicitor’s Complaints Bureau knew as far back as 1995 that the profession’s insurance liability scheme was heading upward towards a figure of £221 million, and each year indicated a substantial rise in claims against the members. 

John Young, then the Deputy Vice President of The Law Society, said the yearly sum of payouts had to be raised in the light of so many actions being brought against Lawyers.

A report said complaints were 90,582 and rising at 15 per cent each year.

Official Tribunal Records for one single year claimed that only 230 solicitors were dealt with for misconduct, most were fined and in the case of serious matters — struck off.

A short-lived ‘ OPERATION CRACKDOWN’ by the Tribunal said that 70 solicitors were fast-tracked so that serious offenders in the profession could be rooted out quickly.

Clive Boxer, a partner in Davies Arnold Cooper admitted that the profession was ‘ Turning a blind eye’ to conflicts of interest  — ‘ Major problems are not being dealt with’ he said.

‘ Claims of a Legal Clean-up are Rubbish ‘

PROPAGANDA and MISDIRECTION:

One Lawyer who is now free of obligations to Law Society and Bar Council said, ‘ Now I have retired, I can comfortably say that the Legal Profession stinks!  and always has done.  Anyone who speaks for the Legal Profession in the light of criticism ‘plays things down and flowers up the results because they cannot bear to think that public confidence might be harmed’  Figures are tampered with and adjusted before any press involvement which they consider fair so as not to be biased.  The Legal Profession is very secretive and considers itself the ultimate power over the people and they do not want to lose their grip on this.  Many Lawyers are attracted to the Freemasons because it offers protection from the public and this is the same in the Templars for obvious reasons.  They have great power and when necessary they intervene to subvert activities being lodged against members that might become too hot for public attention.’

‘Recently, I knew of a firm in Hertfordshire, quite a well known practice doing criminal work etc.  They were in a really awful financial mess, the deficit in funds were well over £1 million and as a result, the practice was dissolved.  Most of the money could not be accounted for, but it was all kept quiet and it never surfaced in the press nor were the police contacted either.  They decided this move would not please the Professional Standards Committee even though there was something ‘seriously wrong ‘  it all just disappeared quietly!!

‘ Just think of how many other little problems are tucked away like this, and you will see what I mean about the stink of corruption in the profession.  Investigations into Solicitors, Barristers and clerks etc, are carefully handled by a tiny group in a closed room.  They immediately concentrate on ‘damage limitation, that is absolutely paramount throughout.  They query things like ‘ is there evidence lying about in the public domain, how many people have access to files on the accused lawyer, can some of it be got rid of and declared not in the public interest or not pertinent to the proceedings’  They publicly say that everything will come out, but that is not the truth even though they continually believe the lie because it sounds good and over the years the lie has actually become the truth in their way of reckoning.  It’s all very sad really and this kind of protectionism is definitely wrong.  It’s only when there is enough for a conviction, or he or the firm have become a nuisance that they go ahead with a conviction within the disciplinary rules.  Others too hot are thrown to the courts when it looks as if it might reflect on them and the way they handled things, when the police step in they get nervous and hate cooperating with them because they have to, but it’s better that way for the rest of them. ‘

‘  Solicitor exposes the conveyance fraud by colleagues ‘

Former Solicitor Michael Joseph annoyed the Legal Profession when he published a book showing that the public were more qualified to do their own house selling or buying than a solicitor.  He quotes the following – the system of house purchase and sale as operated by solicitors is so bad, and so far removed from the claims they make for it, that it amounts to fraud.  The art of conveyancing, as practiced by solicitors, is to do as little work as possible, while relieving the house buyer and seller of as much money as possible.  This in itself does not amount to fraud — the fraud lies in the solicitor’s claims that they safeguard the house buyer in the most important purchase of his or her life; whereas what they actually do is not only useless, it is worse than useless.

As for the solicitor’s work being worse than useless, this is because the purchaser, having instructed a solicitor, naturally assumes that the solicitor will work his wondrous magic to make sure everything is ‘ all right’ — therefore the purchaser will not bother to check commonsense points which should be checked by a brief inspection of the house and by personally asking a few questions at the council offices.  Consequently neither the purchaser nor his solicitor checks these things, but they are simply left to chance.

‘ Law Society request Identity safety reassurance in Conveyancing ‘

If it wasn’t laughable it would be a joke in bad taste, but the purchase of a house must be satisfied by the Law Society in respect of the buyer’s identity.  Yet if you read these files one can see Lawyers plundering clients funds in property purchases and many having dubious clients (under different alias’s) and laundering cash from drug deals.  When have Lawyers worried where the money comes from?   Michael Joseph would probably see the irony of this and add it to a new book ‘ when can you trust a Lawyer – never ‘

MICHAEL JOSEPH EXPOSES THE LAW SOCIETY:

Michael found it necessary to report an eminent solicitor for bribing a witness but the law society would not take an action of the misconduct by one of their members.  In another case, a solicitor held onto the proceeds of a house sold for a client — and again the law society took no action.  Another solicitor fiddled a client out of £68.000 by hiking up a bill based largely on fiction concerning bogus claims for time spent pursuing documents and fake attendance notes — the lawyer was eventually struck off, the law society actually dismissed the complaint against the thieving solicitor.  You can read more on this and get the real picture by getting his book THE CONVEYANCING FRAUD and his other book LAWYERS CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH.

‘ We’re not greedy says Barrister — £4,000 a week not enough’

Barrister Peter Lodder,  QC made his protest quite clear when he opposed Government attempts to cut down Legal Aid by £2.2 billion pounds a year that the taxpayer funds.  Of course, the Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association would say that.  In fact he said the rates are derisory, this is our livelihood they are tampering with.

He makes the point that some Barristers are only making £91 an hour and compares them to plumbers in the wage scale.  Ten hours at £91 works out at £910, not bad for a mere ten hours, and there are very few of them that do this ten hours, so come off it Mr. Lodder, we can double this, and if we were to accept they did thirty hours a week it would work out at £2,730 a week and around £100,000 per annum.

The report goes onto mention a so-called elite group of Lawyers that take over a£1million a year each.  At Allen & Overy it says 35 partners broke through the million pound bracket.      Nigel Boardman a senior partner at Slaughter & May could not deny that £900,000 was being made by their Lawyers.  He said – ‘ We are not new fat cats, no, the only way to tell if a Lawyer is worth the money is if a client is willing to pay a high fee, and the people are willing to do this.’

A chart issued in 2000 showed the following in regard to profits for Lawyers in TEN LAW FIRMS.

SLAUGHTER & MAY                        £900,000

ALLEN & OVERY                              £752,000

LINKLATERS                                      £725,000

FRESHFIELDS                                    £675,000

CLIFFORD CHANCE                           £560,000

OLSWANG                                           £587,000

S.J.BERWIN & CO.                              £554,000

NORTON ROSE                                   £453,000

GOULDENS                                          £569,000

ASHURST, MORRIS, CRISP                 £545,000

Mr. PETER LODDER QC. fails to say that the workload for Lawyers is increasing all the time due to Government Regulations and the vast changes and additions in Law for ordinary people.  It really means that they have a far greater chance of fleecing the public at every turn.  All what the Government does is bound to create more work for Lawyers, yet he plays ‘ the bleeding heart card’ and luckily fails to convince anyone with his argument for higher fees, which in reality, he and his cronies are after.

‘ Lawyer falls at first hurdle ‘

SOLICITOR CAROL ANN ROGERS of Llanelli in Wales, had only just began as a main street solicitor when she fell from grace.  She misled the Regulator and failed to keep proper accounting, made improper transfers of money from the client account to the office account among other serious matters.  The tribunal cancelled her practice certificate and set the conditions that she would only be allowed to continue under certain rules.  She was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,750.

‘ Solicitors in Mortgage Affair are struck off ‘

LAWYERS STELLA PETER of East Barnet, KATE ECHEAZU of Grays Essex and FRANK EZUMA of East London were all struck off the solicitors roll and ordered to pay costs totalling £18,000.  They were found guilty of misconduct and misrepresentation along with dishonesty over their handling of mortgage transactions in their firm — including improper payments, failing to report to lender clients that certain sellers did not own a property and had not been the registered owner for more than six months.  They misled buyers by not giving a full report on matters and withheld purchase prices on properties in conveyancing transactions.

‘ Criminal Law Solicitors are fined, and another solicitor struck off ‘

LAWYERS PAUL DA COSTA GASKIN of Reading, LANDRETH DANIEL and MICHAEL ALDEN both of The Criminal Law Advocates, solicitors – Office Suite 2, Station Road, Didcot, fell foul of the solicitors tribunal, and not for the first time!!  GASKIN was found guilty of not having a current certificate for several months, misusing clients money in a dishonest manner, and was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £8,078.75.  Solicitor Landreth Daniel had appeared before the board in 2002 in similar circumstances – professional misconduct.  He was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £680 costs.  Michael Alden – professional misconduct – fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,390.

‘ Solicitor fined for incompetency ‘

LAWYER PETER McGOWAN of Chesterfield was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,000 because he failed to act accordingly in the proper interests of the client.  He also failed to give adequate advice and entered into agreements contrary to the rules.

‘PROTECTING THE PROFESSION?’ — Other allegations were levelled at solicitors, MICHAEL MACDONALD, JEREMY RICE, NEIL BROWN and RODNEY SHIERS — these were discontinued because MACDONALD passed away and a written regulatory settlement of agreement had been made and signed by PETER McGOWAN so the tribunal took the decision not to pursue that line hence creating a secrecy over their involvement and accepting one sole solicitor would confess to the matter, which of course was very convenient?

‘ Lawyer makes improper loan using client cash ‘

SOLICITOR OLAYEMI OLIVE DANIEL of Daniel & Partners in Barking, Essex, was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £12,500 after it was revealed that she had failed to act in the best interests of a client — and withdrew money from a client account to use as a personal loan to another client contrary to the regulations.  She did not keep a record of the loan and failed to heed her client’s instructions (stakeholder).  It was said that she was acting for a family member when this happened.

‘ Solicitor is closed down ‘

LAWYER SAEED-UR-RAHMAN KHAN of Manchester had his street practice officially closed by the tribunal after hearing that his accounts were in a complete and utter mess.  The board stated that he should have had some accounting training before opening the firm, especially as he had come from another country to practice in the UK.  The tribunal also required him to practice under supervision until he learned enough to handle client accounts properly as they feared for client safety if he’d been allowed to continue.  He was ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ Struck off solicitors ignored warning ‘

LAWYERS PAUL J DAVIS of Omskirk, Lancashire and ELAINE McGLINCHEY of Liverpool were both struck off the roll after the board considered that both parties had deliberately ignored the Law Society, the directives and a court order.  It was stated that they had previously appeared before a tribunal in 2007, and Elaine McGlinchey had appeared at an earlier tribunal in 2003.  They failed to comply with an order made by Bury County Court and pay compensation to two clients as directed by the Law Society.  They declined to respond to complaints, and correspondence from the Regulator.

‘ Suspended Lawyer was Dishonest ‘

SOLICITOR CORNELIUS McCARTHY of Birmingham acted dishonestly and made improper transactions of client money the board stated when they suspended his certificate for three years, and ordered him to pay costs of £12,500.  He also failed to keep proper and accurate accounts and have professional indemnity insurance.  The more serious note the board stated was that he had intentionally sought to interfere with the investigation ordered by the society, and that he kept client money for his own benefit.

‘ Breach of trust solicitor is bound over ‘

LAWYER SIMON F FONKWO of London, and formerly with RAE & CO Trinity St, London, was barred from handling money, or being a signatory to any client or office accounts, or be a partner in any law firm without consent.  The board noted that his previous certificate had been subject to conditions over a four year period.  He was ordered to pay costs of £1,000.

‘ Lawyers in property fraud and money laundering ‘

SOLICITORS MALCOLM S GRAHAM and WENDY K OSTELL, — both were involved in property fraud — and solicitor IVAN BRUCE was named in the money laundering especially — by the tribunal.  All three solicitors were in Wickham, near Newcastle.  Solicitors Graham and Ostell were both struck off and solicitor Bruce was reprimanded.  It is stated that they conspired to mislead investigators despite warnings.  They misrepresented purchase prices on property, misled clients about work carried out — some of which had been done by ‘ Northern’ — a locum to which they claimed and charged for above the rate.  There was a proportion of mortgage advances transferred to an ‘ off-shore’ bank account. Fees had been charged over planning costs when no such work had been carried out — submitted fabricated documents supposed to have come from the HMRC to the FSA.  Carrying on a business not known to the FSA that dealt with money investment, and that being unregulated and subject to crime, and the misuse of client accounts.  Solicitor Graham was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £116,800.  Solicitor Ostell was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £20,000.  Solicitor Bruce was ordered to pay £500 costs and severely reprimanded.

‘ Suspended solicitor loses closes his practice ‘

LAWYER GRAHAM GIBBONS of Nottingham, a sole practitioner, closed his own firm after failing to keep up with proper accounting procedures — in that they found he deducted bank charges from client accounts contrary to the regulations.  The tribunal fined him £3,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £2,100 — and he was suspended for an indefinite period.

‘ False Document Lawyer is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR NANZEEN SULEMAN of Croydon, had deliberately used a forged document in court proceedings knowing it to be false in a Landlord and Tenant case.  She dishonestly breached the rules of conduct knowing that the faxed item was not genuine.  She was also guilty of attempting to mislead the court, so the tribunal had no alternative but to have her struck off the roll and ordered her to pay costs of £11,154.

‘ Trio of Solicitors use client money for rent ‘

LAWYERS PEDRO OKORO of Sutton, ADEORIKE ADESMOWD of London and MARGARET OLOJO of London were found to have used client account money to pay for the firm’s rent.  Other allegations included failures in ledger accounts and not having Idemnity Insurance in force.  PEDRO OKORO had made transfers from the client accounts that were improper in order to bolster the office account.  He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.  ADEORIKE ADESMOWD of Adesmowd & Co, Blackheath, was ordered to pay a fine of £9,000 and costs of £7,000.  MARGARET OLOJO of Phoenix & Co. Solicitors, Willoughby Lane, London, being considered rather inexperienced, was reprimanded and ordered to pay costs of £1,500.

‘ Troubled Lawyer out of his depth ‘

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY OGBUAGH of London, found himself under great financial strain and unable to cope with necessary accounting.  The Tribunal heard that this was his second appearance, the first being over accounting breaches resulting in a penalty of £7,000 being imposed.  He was suspended and ordered to pay costs of £3,869.

‘ Client account misuse solicitor is fined ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY DAVID DAVIS of Davis & Co. Leicester, found himself facing the tribunal on account charges — misuse of client accounts, failing to remedy breaches, and failing to provide clients with adequate information regarding costs and retainers.  He also failed to act towards the SRA in an open, prompt and co-operative way.  He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

‘ Lawyer brings profession into disrepute ‘

SOLICITOR VINAY A N VENEIK of London, appeared before the tribunal and was found guilty of misusing client money and failing to act with integrity.  The tribunal decided that they could consider the level of dishonesty was at the lower end of the scale?  but never-the-less, it did bring the profession into disrepute and sully his own name.  The tribunal made the decision to have him struck off the roll and ordered that he pay costs of £8,134.

‘ U.K. Lawyers caught in Internet Child Pornography Raid ‘

The U.S. Authorities revealed that their raids into a child porn racket on the Internet scooped up a number of Lawyers in The United Kingdom.  Thomas Reedy who ran the site was sentenced to 1335 years for showing children being sexually abused online.  Reedy has already given the Police the names of his subscribers, which include police officers, solicitors and Judges from several countries.  Scotland Yard confirmed they are looking into the claims and are investigating the Lawyers involved.

‘ Bent lawyers are not easily exposed in practice ‘

This is what former solicitor Cyril Sharpe found when he inadequately tried to deal with it.  ‘ I was a solicitor in a large practice which had several branches in three counties.  I was aware that some of my colleagues were inept and ill-trained, but I saw them as rascals in a way and convinced myself they would get better with time.  It came as quite a shock when one particular solicitor who I did not know that well suddenly approached me with a proposition.  He told me that I could earn easy money on the side just as he and others were doing.  At first I thought he was referring to a legal way and for a time, convinced myself that it was so.  As time went by, he approached my office several times, and ‘Roger’ as I will call him, would  sit himself on my desk and tell me about his marriage problems and how he’d solved it with the extra cash.  I began to distance myself from him and thought I’d have a word with one of the others.  He told me to forget it and say nothing to anyone.  Sadly for myself I ignored this and found myself talking to colleagues who were once friendly only to find them turning against me.  I discovered that my bent colleague had friends throughout the firm and that he was in a sense; more popular than myself.  Eventually, I went upstairs to see one of the partners.  Instead of showing a keenness to expose ‘Roger’ he began to ask me if I liked working for the firm, what my hobbies were and why wasn’t I attending his ‘wine and cheese parties’.  I then realised that ‘Roger’ did.  Several weeks later my days at the firm ended — I’d opened one particular can and I should have read the label —– ‘poisonous’

‘ Havant solicitor jailed for fraudulent alibi’s ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID LANCASTER was jailed for 3 years after fixing alibi’s for his clients.  The Lawyer was secretly filmed and recorded manufacturing a defence alibi for a man accused of a serious crime.  He was said to have gone far beyond his responsibilities to the client legally and making an alibi was a criminal act said the judge.  The wealthy Lawyer was jailed for perverting the course of justice. The TV sting operation revealed his tactics on ‘ how to stop a witness testifying in court ‘.  Lancaster worked in the firm WARNER, GOODMAN & STREET in Portsmouth — He was also a MAGISTRATE for four years on the local court circuit?  Lancaster who lived in Havant, Hampshire, was tried in Exeter Crown Court in 2004.

‘ Two solicitors deny theft of client’s cash ‘

Two Senior Lawyers in a Warwickshire Law firm denied taking several thousands of pounds to use for their own venture involving a car firm.  Both said that they had intended to pay the outstanding sums after plundering three accounts containing client’s money.  ‘ It was only a temporary measure ‘ said one of the defendants? the trial continues.

‘ Cheating Law Student cheated before ‘

NINA BURMIS about to enter Hull University on a Law degree course to become a solicitor found herself appearing before the Crown Court on charges of fraud — having used false details to get the money for an operation.  She also tried to get a large mortgage for a house using false information and previous to that she was convicted for shoplifting.  She gave out a dud cheque and forged references based on a claim that she had worked for a construction company.  She was given a suspended prison sentence.

CHEATING LAW STUDENTS — Yes there are plenty about, go to article ‘ Cheating Lawyers’ at the top of this page.

N.B. Interestingly enough, she has got all the attributes and immoral thinking to make a really good Lawyer?

‘ Solicitors in Embezzlement case ‘

Several solicitors in the Devon area have been struck off for embezzlement of client’s funds and misappropriation according to an emerging report.  It has been stated that the amounts are not excessively large, but there had been systematic displacement occurring on a regular basis.  The Law Society was not available for comment at the time?

‘ LAW FIRM LEGAL ADMINISTRATOR JAILED ‘

THE LEGAL EXPERT  on migrant matters Francis Enaharo, practice manager of a South East London Law Firm was jailed for seven years for forgery.  He steered clients so that they could get forged documents and provided  ‘ fake paperwork’ to support claims for them to stay in Britain under the ’14year-long rule’.  Many of his clients had only just arrived in the UK, but that could easily be got round.  Southwark Crown Court were satisfied that the Law Firm boss masterminded the whole operation and jailed him.

‘ City lawyer bullied by bosses ‘

Lawyer Gillian Switalski claims that bosses at the firm practiced sexual discrimination, which involved bullying and harassment.  She is set to win a huge damages payout at a tribunal next year.

‘ Solicitor accused of misconduct ‘

SOLICITOR JANE LOVEDAY was accused of misconduct in office and bungling.  The woman solicitor was unavailable for comment after news leaked from the high street firm.  The official line was that there had been mistakes and some irregularities that were being addressed on an internal level before any other course of action was decided upon.

‘ Sussex Solicitor in cheque forgery incident ‘

HASTINGS LAWYER BRENDAN JOHN SALISBURY a former criminal solicitor appeared before Croydon Crown Court on 25 charges including theft, forgery and false accounting.  He was found out after he altered a cheque by increasing it to another £1000 for himself.  The court heard that no one questioned him because of his seniority and cheques were handled by him.  He received a 12 month conditional discharge and was required to pay £3000 prosecution costs.  He originally received a three year suspension on his practice certificate, but on appeal judges decided that he should be struck off.

‘ Un-named Lawyer to be struck off in Conveyance fraud ‘

A SHEFFIELD SOLICITOR in a leading firm has been struck off for fraud.  The report which hides the identity of the solicitor concerned says that he arranged house sales and was discovered after missing cash from client funds emerged.  A tribunal heard that he pocketed the money and had cheques made out to him personally without any queries because of his status in the firm.

If we get the solicitor’s name we will add it to this article on the next or later update.

NEWS IN BRIEF – Report from Investigator Richard Barrymore.

SEVERAL SOLICITORS in a West Yorkshire Practice are being investigated over financial irregularities following the discovery of deficits in clients funds it has been revealed.  One solicitor has disappeared following the discovery which led to a self audit.  It is reported that the company is in severe trouble and that the investigation could well lead to another branch of the practice.  Malpractice and fabrication of documents has also been mentioned as coming to light.  More news as soon as we can get it on this story.

A STORY EMERGING FROM OUR SOURCE PRIVATE DETECTIVE RICHARD BARRYMORE;

‘ Lawyer lies to court and reneges on deal ‘

In Barnet Court the case of a young man being evicted saw the lawyer for the property owner lying to the court about the situation concerning his client.  His client Mr. Roy Souter was into spanking and had given the boy an assurance that he could stay in the house in North London (so that he could have sessions with the boy on weekly visits).  The House in Queens Road, Bounds Green near Southgate became empty except for the boy, so the owner employed a solicitor in the Wood Green area to make a deal.  The boy was supposed to get an alternative flat to be arranged so that there would be no need to have a court case.  The boy suddenly was presented with an eviction notice by the said solicitor who at court, stated the boy was telling lies about his client and that they were evicting him because of unpaid rent.  Strangely, shortly after the boy was evicted, the house was sold to a buyer already arranged?  The man who hired this lying lawyer has been tracked down to Canvey Island in Essex where he moved to having lived in Wood Green. 

We shall reveal the name of the solicitors as soon as Richard can obtain them.

Richard Barrymore our private investigator gives us news from Scotland.

‘ The curious case of the fiddling Lawyer ‘

SOLICITOR TOM MURRAY (Glasgow & Stirlingshire), was found guilty by the professional standards committee in 2005 of misappropriation of client’s money – the proceeds of house sales.  He was also later declared bankrupt, yet he was allowed to continue in practice?  Again in 2007 he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct.  The Law Society did not take the action of striking him off, which beggars belief.

See the article by Richard on the Judges — and corruption.

‘ The Pervert Solicitor is arrested ‘

LAWYER IAN DONNELLY of Glasgow was arrested after a woman reported him for trying to obtain n 11 year-old girl for a sexual threesome.  The now resigned solicitor appeared before Glasgow Sheriff Court .  The Lawyer who mainly dealt with civil cases pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and two charges of the breach of peace.  It is understood that Donnelly was in the habit of visiting vice girls in the city.

‘ Lawyer in road sabotage at a public event ‘

SOLICITOR ALEXANDER GROSSETT was arrested and accused of trying to sabotage a rally race on a stretch of public road made available for the event.  He was seen throwing tacks and broken nails over a wide area.  The Church Elder and member of the Rannoch and Tummel Council was charged with ‘acting in a way that showed complete disregard for the safety of others participating or otherwise ‘  The Perth Sheriff Court said it was a foolish and dangerous act of maliciousness.

‘ Solicitor admits laundering drug cash ‘

LAWYER ROBERT THOMAS was arrested after it was discovered that he was moving cash for drug traffickers into homes and new money.  He admitted laundering money from drugs and was amazingly fined just £5,000 instead of imprisonment.  A main partner in his own firm and associate of Campbell Sievewright & Co. was found guilty of serious professional misconduct.

‘ Senior Lawyer in toilets with rent boy arrested ‘

SENIOR LAWYER DOUGLAS HAGGARTY of the Scottish Legal Aid Board was charged with soliciting in a public place after he picked up a rent boy in the British Home Stores at the Enoch Centre in Glasgow.  His Lawyer Paul Mc.Bride QC. of the same board? asked the Crown Office to drop the charge?

‘ Law firm hit by corruption claims ‘

SOLICITORS — RICHARD LEGGETT, DONALD Mc.GILLIVRAY, HAMISH REID, MAX Mc.GILL and IRENE Mc.GRAW  were all found guilty of setting out to deceive their client issuing a doctored version on his conveyancing opinion.  Along with a sixth Lawyer, the firm over recent months and possibly years actively deceived clients in order to profit by the misconduct.  The Firm was – CAMPBELL RIDDELL BREEZE PATTERSON.

‘Solicitor jailed for 4 years ‘

LAWYER WILLIAM CARSTAIRS STEVENS of Bennett and Robertson in Edinburgh was imprisoned for four years after he’d been found guilty of fraud.  He used money from seven clients accounts to keep his lifestyle in the fast lane.  The elaborate accounting was discovered when clients became suspicious over his refusal to meet or explain about their investments.

‘ Lawyer in Inland Revenue incident is fined ‘

SOLICITOR LOUISE HAY of Simpson and Marwick appeared before the Dundee Sheriff Court charged with defrauding the Inland Revenue Office.  She was fined £750 in 2005 and amazingly allowed to continue as a practicing lawyer despite the conviction.

‘ Lawyer on indecent assault charges against 13 yr-old boy ‘

LAWYER MARC STRACHAN appeared before the Edinburgh Sheriff Court on charges of approaching a 13 year old boy with intention to commit an act of indecency in a toilet at the McArthur Glen Shopping Centre in Linlithgow. 

‘ Solicitor created false alibi for client in criminal proceedings ‘

CONVEYANCE SOLICITOR SHAHID PARVEZ was before the Glasgow High Court on charges of perverting the course of justice.  He admitted to concocting an alibi for a client who was facing a trial where he was on charges of extortion, abduction and assault.  The struck off solicitor was stated to be facing a jail sentence over the seriousness of the charges.

‘Glasgow Solicitor’s 12 negligence claims and misconduct charges ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN O DONNELL has powerful friends it is said, so powerful that they have thwarted investigations and had charges dropped and ignored.  Even though the Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance group have paid out £350,000 over 7 of the 12 negligence claims, The Law Society have made no attempt to bring this lawyer to justice.  A cheated firm Decafarm complained to the Strathclyde Police over money owed by the Property Lawyer, but nothing came of it — case in the Sunday Mail 2005)  Stripping clients assets was something the Lawyer excelled in over several years.   The Lawyer’s Offices were searched by the police concerning ‘ money laundering’ and connection with the McGovern crime family lieutenant Russell Stirton. 

PROSECUTOR STUART MACFARLANE was caught in a sting when police were clamping down on prostitution.

SOLICITOR ANGELA BAILLIE was involved in a heroin dealing bust.

In 2006 there was 5000 complaints lodged against lawyers in Scotland.

 More news from Scotland later.

‘ Barrister in Drink/Drive arrest ‘

LAWYER IAIN WHITNEY, a former prosecutor appeared at Leamington Spa Magistrates Court on Drink Driving and trying to flee police.  He refused to give a specimen of breath at the police station saying that there was a police vendetta orchestrated by Sergeant George Stepney.  The police claimed that  Mr. Whitney smelled strongly of alcohol at the time of the arrest. They said they had followed him after he left the Peacock Public House.  Mr. Whitney claimed he was the subject of a police surveillance team that relied on tainted evidence of Sergeant Stepney.

After the case he was freed and said he would be suing the police force.

BRIEF NEWS — Two Law Graduates Shanti Andrews and Rebecca Turner have been detained whilst abroad after concocting a story of being robbed, the pair are facing charges of lying and creating a falsehood in order to profit by insurance fraud.  They claimed their property had been stolen, but it was found by police hidden in the hotel.  A judge in Rio De Janeiro ordered that they remain in prison until the trial.

RIPPLING NEWS FROM RICHARD BARRYMORE  tells us of breaking news concerning another scandal at a Law firm which has gone bust amid claims of malpractice and disappearing client money.  We shall bring you more on that as soon as Richard gets the full story.

‘ 3 LAWYERS IN CORRUPT PACT TO DECEIVE ‘

THIS REPORT COMES FROM IRELAND  – One Barrister, ANGUS BUTTANSHAW, Solicitor ANDREW F. SMYTH and once jailed and suspended solicitor HERBERT MULLIGAN all were involved in the strange case of a fire that demolished a property.  Solicitor Andrew. F. Smyth – one time the President of the Law Society made false claims of acting for Allied Irish Finance when in fact he wasn’t.  Solicitor Herbert Mulligan went to jail for fraud in 1988 and was also suspended from practicing.  Barrister Angus Buttanshaw contributed into this incident that had conveyancing irregularities and failures of procedure.  It appears that all three were party to a cover-up and played dirty tricks in order to gain from a deception.

‘ Solicitor in misconduct case fears for his life ‘

LAWYER WILLIAM DAVIS a partner in his own firm said he was in fear of certain people when he appeared before the Professional Body who were about to have him struck off.  Evidence emerged that he had dealings with ‘notorious’ individuals.  Davis has been accused of serious professional misconduct at the Irish Law Firm.

‘ Lawyer in Property Probe to be struck off ‘

DECIAN Mc COURT of Mc Court and Co Solicitors of Dundalk appeared before the Board accused of Professional misconduct.  The matter concerned loans on a property that aroused suspicion as to the nature of the way they had been administered.  His accounts are subject of an investigation.

‘ Solicitor admits breaches and false accounting ‘

LAWYER CIARAN CALLAN  a Dublin solicitor was at the centre of investigation that was looking into irregularities of his accounts which have revealed a £1.9 million scam involving false accounting.  He appeared before the Board charged with several breaches of the Solicitors Regulations.  The Board decided that he should be struck off in light of the seriousness of the situation.

‘ Council Solicitor can be culpable in Data Misuse ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS BENNETT of the Havant Council can be held in ‘vicarious liability’ when staff misuse data supplied in a claim.  The term Data Controllers cannot apply to every civil servant  throughout the building without occurring a great risk to confidentiality.  But they do, and this information is passed around to others without the law protecting it because Bennett believes the law only applies to those beyond his circle.  He is not only culpable in this negligent act but passively encourages this in the departments by relying on his status of solicitor.  When one applies for information and data from the council under the Freedom of Information Act he is quick to say they will charge for this service, select what they think is right, and if the info is to be used then informs the applicant that it comes under ‘ the Re-use of Public Sector Information Act’ which effectively stops any snooping into their files for info on corruption or how the council spends taxpayers money.  He once said ‘  Any such request would have delays and be an extensive workload’  Yet, he completely turns this into ‘ Personnel staff have no recollections of corrupt staff or dismissals of this nature’  Double dealing by council solicitors appears rife and we have proved that in the Waltham Case.  If he claims there is no corruption instances then this extensive workload is a nonsense and any such workload on application would be a fabrication on his part, which he is willing to do knowing that there is nothing to report according to his council staff?  It’s a pity he cannot show the same consideration for a claimant’s data as he does for council employees, they keep info on claimants for three weeks without its return — but as we have said — corrupt lawyers are actively concealed and helped by the Law Society and Government,  —and before we leave, there are two cases of corruption we can mention at Havant that don’t exist as far as he says, one — there was vote rigging in the council around eight years ago, and secondly, councillor Mincham was in a swindle and later jailed…twice??

‘ The Law in Lawyer might be missing in your solicitor? ‘

DEFECTS IN THE ENGLISH LAW reveal that the public do not know what they are getting when they approach solicitors firms to handle their cases.  Many Law students entering many of the firms and London in particular are accepting students who have been reading politics at University before speeding through a conversion course into law firms who pay their fees and allowances.  One would have naturally thought these firms would have preferred a student who’d done three years of law studies to go through the one year conversion.  But no, many law practices are taking on students who read different subjects.  The inherent defects of this are being swept under the bench and it goes un-noticed by the public because they are not privy to the workings of the Law firms and Chambers.  They assume the word solicitor and barrister means safety in legal matters plus a great knowledge and practice in Law.  This defect could result in and probably has that someone is represented by a solicitor who is less competent in the art of Law due to his ‘politics’ or other background prior to being taken up by these firms, and the unknowing clients will be charged handsomely for not being aware of it?

‘ Attorney General, the Law Chief is fined £5,000 over illegal employee ‘

BARONESS SCOTLAND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL was fined £5,000 for allowing an illegal immigrant to be in her employ.  The Highest Law Chief claimed it was not not intentional or done with her knowledge.  yet, this same Lawyer has recently been speaking out against illegal immigrants being employed by rogue employers and urging a crackdown.  Also she knows that ‘ignorance’ is no defence in law.  Apart from this, it is inconceivable that someone hired this immigrant without job application forms.  We are talking about a woman in great power with a huge legal organisation at her disposal.  The immigrant should have failed the application immediately as applications for a job is absolutely a must these days.  yet we are being asked to believe this was an oversight and error.  However, the one thing you can count on is — the Judiciary and government will come flying to her aid and give her their undying support no matter what?

‘ The 3 month Conveyance and inept Solicitors ‘

RICHARD BARRYMORE brings us this breaking case — Sussex solicitors, one firm in Bognor and the others in Selsey have been in an unsatisfactory conveyance that is taking three months.  One solicitor blames the vendors lawyers over the delay saying that they are not complying with questions.  The Purchaser confirms that he hardly ever hears from his solicitor and updates on progress are virtually nil.  Former solicitor Michael Joseph warned about this in his book ‘ the conveyance fraud’ which we have already featured.  The purchaser although employing legal representation has had to mainly rely on information supplied by the estate agents, which says very little for the solicitors.  We shall return to this case with the name of the solicitors from both firms in the next update for this site.

WE HAVE THE SOLICITORS from the above news feature — STAFFURTH AND BRAY SOLICITORS in Bognor, Conveyance solicitor ANGELA LIEURSI and STONE MILWARD RAPERS SOLICITORS in Selsey, solicitor MRS. S.EVANS.  These two have been squabbling and delaying the process over a ‘restrictive covenant’ — quite a common thing to be dealt with according to solicitor Michael Joseph who wrote the book – THE CONVEYANCING FRAUD.  It appears Angela Lieursi could never ascertain what the covenant involved, but like newby trainees she knew that the covenant factor was also considered the ‘armoury’ in the solicitor’s case.  She caused delay and both solicitors got locked in this absurd covenant thought to be set in the 1960’s some forty years previously when the land belonged to a development company — long deceased and wound up.  Michael Joseph, a former expert on house conveyance says that if the restrictive covenant is not precise or that notice of breach has never been served, no one can be entirely sure the covenant is enforceable.  Who would enforce it? he says and if the house is several years old the covenant in question would certainly be held to have been waived. Buying an existing house ‘ the bogeys of restrictive covenants are considered and turn out to be ‘red herrings’.  Why didn’t the solicitor at Staffurth and Bray know this?

OUR PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR RICHARD BARRYMORE will be seeking to obtain names from the struck-off solicitors list from someone in the department and office.  it will be difficult as the Law Society would rather we did not see a copy or know any individual solicitor they have on record.  But I can assure you we will try to have this information for the next update along with more from our files.

‘ The Child Abuse Investigation and Lawyers Collusion ‘

We shall reveal the lawyers and the police who colluded with council authorities in North Wales when an investigation into child abuse was railroaded by lawyers.  The Investigation limped along and floundered as the months went by and when the press was already looking to new stories, the inquiry was suddenly wound up.  The Lawyers and the police sat on reports and waited for the press to go, and in the meanwhile evidence went missing and fabrication of documents disturbingly surfaced to hide the abusers contacts who were in the legal profession. 200 children suffered abuse over a number of years.  The North Wales force confirmed that allegations against the police were being investigated.  The Law Society refused to deny or confirm that an eminent lawyer and others were mentioned in the report.

BREAKING NEWS:

TWO LAWYERS IN COURT CASE GET COPIES OF CONFISCATED PORN VIDEOS — Two leasing lawyers and three policemen had copies made of sex videos confiscated by judge in the trial of two Pakistani men who distributed porn in plain brown bags.  Both men were fined and had several videos ordered to be destroyed.  Out of the public gaze after the trial the videos were copied and shared by the cops and lawyers.  This information comes from a clerk who was at the scene when these arrangements were made.

‘ Internet bloggers and twitters defeat Lawyers Carter-Ruck over Secret Injunctions ‘

ORDINARY FOLK DEFEATED LAW FIRM CARTER-RUCK over the affair of TRAFIGURA and their desire to gag information reaching the public arena.  Carter-Ruck issued injunctions against the media and went further with a so named – ‘ super injunction’ that is designed to keep the original injunction a secret?  Lawyers at Carter-Ruck claimed this was always allowed by judges when protecting a client’s interests.  The leak of this document not to be seen concerned the Minton Report — the disposing of toxic waste on the Ivory Coast of South Africa.  Users of Internet chat sites openly defied Lawyers Carter-Ruck and there was nothing these so named – self opinionated top notch lawyers (only matched by their arrogance) could do.  This ten partner firm, and we will tell you who they are — ANDREW STEPHENSON, ALASDAIR PEPPER, GUY MARTIN, CLAIRE GILL, RUTH COLLARD, NIGEL TAIT, ADAM TUDOR, HANNA BASHA, MAGNUS BOYD and CAMERON DOLEY, are the solicitors who were behind the threats to silence anyone who got in their way.  They issued libel proceedings against BBC’s Newsnight program on behalf of TRAFIGURA.  They say they specialize in Libel, Defamation and Slander Law and hail themselves as the top firm in this field.  Apparently they are to add a newly qualified solicitor EDWARD YELL to their team.  What they fail to see is — THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH AND GET ANSWERS —- NOT LIES OR THREATS.

LAWYERS CARTER-RUCK deliberately set about legal gagging in a cover up so that their client TRAFIGURA could hide the fact they’d paid out £30million in damages to people who had been infected and affected by the toxic negligence of dumping waste.  They denied being responsible yet paid out this sum?  a little familiar to when the police payout they always give payment and say ‘ this in no way represents liability ‘  strange that!  –paying out sums for free.

THE PIMPS, NORMAN LAMONT — AND THE LAWYERS CARTER-RUCK.

Research reveals the interesting involvement of the infamous Libel Lawyers (whose self-importance is only surpassed by their desire to be known as ‘ feared ‘ libel chasers) CARTER-RUCK.  Norman Lamont hired them in the case of a ‘ Madam ‘  – property rental – and pimping on the streets of London.  This story happened at the same time as the ‘ arrest of the Department of Public Prosecutions boss Sir Allan Green, for kerb-crawling in the Kings Cross district of London.  Norman Lamont was the Chancellor at the time, and he contacted Peter Carter-Ruck to force, what he termed as ‘ purveyors of sexual or quasi-sexual therapy services’ out of his home (they were actually renting a part of it ).  Strangely, in court he claimed a large share of the madam’s earnings, which essentially would have meant the Chancellor could have been said ‘ to live off immoral earnings’ but Lamont and Carter-Ruck did not interpret this in that way.  THE SCANDAL was the publication of photographs of Sara Dale and David Missen’s marriage (guests were invited to strip them naked).  In the News of the World the headline was – ‘ Kinky Miss Whiplash and the Chancellor ‘ – a campaign that reached fever point.  Lawyer Christopher Smith, a partner in the CARTER-RUCK firm arrived with a barrister and assistant solicitor to protect Mr. Lamont and cover any tracks that might be embarrassing and dangerous to their esteemed client.  Sara Dale insists that the Lamont’s knew she was going to use their basement for ‘ therapy ‘ despite denials from Mr. Lamont.  One cannot help wondering how much Peter Carter- Ruck and pal Christopher Smith were involved prior to their legal actions against the ‘therapy girls’.  Secrecy and Cover-ups seem to be their speciality when one considers how they reacted in the TRAFGURA incident.

CARTER-RUCK and the CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY — It was revealed that this organisation branded as subversive and more on the BBC Programme Panorama, was represented by the Libel Lawyers Carter-Ruck — despite evidence on the report highlighting a court case in the 1980’s when a judge suggested the Church was no more than a cult, dangerous and one that should not be recognised. It certainly shows that money talks and Lawyers like Carter-Ruck do not mind that their clients were condemned by the judiciary.

EXCLUSIVE:

‘ The Vice Den where Lawyers and Judges come out to play ‘

Jill Dyson runs a ‘ Adventurous entertainment sex group’ — otherwise known as a HOUSE OF FUN — on the lines of the notorious Cynthia Payne; famous for her being on trial for running a house of ill-repute.  The house in London (somewhere near the East End), which we have promised not to divulge, has many clients from the Legal Profession.  ‘ We have some 35 solicitors and up to 40 barristers visiting us for their sex kicks’ she confirmed. ‘ In this year alone we have had three judges and several cops to satisfy.’ she added.  On being asked how she knew they were in the judiciary she smiled and said ‘ Clare, one of my most successful girls is a bit nosey and often picks up their business cards by accident!’   ‘ One of the judges likes to be tied up to a bed upstairs for several hours, and then whipped on the hour.  It’s rather strange I know, but that’s what he wants and they know they can do it here without being found out’ she said.  A top barrister who comes here every other month likes to be in a cell situation and after a while — sentenced to a flogging with a cane.  It was a little hard to arrange at first but we managed to use a pool table turned upside down and use some baby cot rails to improvise until we got it looking like a small cell or cage.   Bernie one of the many solicitors, likes to be spanked like a naughty little boy — that’s what most of them go for besides domination and submission’ she said laughing.  ‘ We provide a full service including the games and role play, that’s what they come here for whatever their reasons for doing what they do — they would hate this kid of thing getting out  — so we promise to keep their identities secret; even from the cops who come here.  We recently had to turn away one city solicitor because he tried to get one of my girls to bring her ten-year-old son to join in.  So I showed him the door and told him we don’t condone anything to do with kids and that kind of perversion is not tolerated by me. He got quite agitated and said he had influence and friends who could make things difficult for me and that I would regret it, but I haven’t. The public are completely unaware of what’s going on — that’s why they have a completely different idea of the law, and that’s the way the judiciary wants it.  There are other establishments like ours, at least one in every city of the UK serving the legal profession; we know one in Birmingham and one in Manchester — they boast of having over 300 lawyers on their books besides a few judges, so it’s not that rare as they like to pretend it is.  When Cynthia Payne went on trial she was heard to say ‘ With my luck, the judge will probably be one of my customers’ — and that could go for me too!’ she concluded.

‘ BARRISTER CHARGED ON TWO COUNTS OF SUPPLYING DRUGS ‘

LAWYER VICTORIA EDMONDS-SHAKELL was arrested by the Warwickshire Police on charges of supplying her husband class A drugs — Cocaine and Heroin.  The Birmingham based Barrister who regularly represented Birmingham Council aims to vigorously challenge these charges and denies being a supplier of drugs or giving her husband any. She admitted aiding the possession of class A drugs and allowing herself to become directly involved in the buying by her husband of heroin and crack cocaine.

‘ Solicitors at the DWP misinterpret law to threaten claimants ‘

THE SOLICITORS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF WORK AND PENSIONS DELIBERATELY FLOUTED THE 1992 SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ACT to threaten claimants who had been overpaid on benefit claims.  Appeal Court Judge Lord Justice Sedgwick overturned a High Court ruling telling the solicitors that the Act does not give the department the right to demand the return of money paid out because of staff blunders and incompetence.  It was revealed that the DWP had sent out letters to 65,000 claimants claiming a legal right to take back overpaid money during 2006 and 2007,  the judge made it clear that they had no such legal right and they should have known it.  The department said they had lost £900million through fraud, errors and £900m because of mistakes by civil servant staff in the Benefits Offices.  The threats by these lawyers has caused considerable distress, and one lawyer –Daniel Lavercombe, knows how to do this with ease and enjoyment — just as most of his colleagues in the Litigation Offices  of London.

‘ Lawyer cheated client and made out cheques to herself ‘

LAWYER VERONICA HYLAND who stole from her millionaire client to the tune of well over £90,000 was jailed for 28 months at Stafford Crown Court.  Apart from cheating this client it was heard that she had lied and taken money from other elderly clients. The well paid Lawyer — and most of them certainly are, admitted 16 charges of fraud, theft and false representation.  Hyland forged the power of attorney to cheat cancer patient, Les Carrier and his sick wife Doris whilst spending the cash on clearing debts, a luxury car and other items she desired.

‘ Lawyers on extortion charges over stolen painting ‘

SOLICITORS – MARSHALL RONALD, CALUM JONES and DAVID BOYCE face trial over ‘ holding a Da Vinci ‘ painting for ransom while posing as in-betweens in negotiations to return the painting to its rightful owner.  They claimed they were acting as ‘intermediates’ for the thieves.  The Insurance Company acting for the owner said that they were highly suspicious of the lawyer’s motives and they called the police in.  Solicitor Marshall Ronald was said to have run his one-man law firm from a garage in Lancashire — the two  co-lawyers were from a Glasgow based firm (HBJ Gately Wareing) who Marshall Ronal contacted and became involved.

‘ Chambers to be sued by Barrister over discrimination ‘

BARRISTER ALSHA BIJLANI IS CLAIMING DAMAGES FROM LAW FIRM FOUR NEW SQUARE in Lincoln’s Inn.  She claims that head of chambers ROGER STEWART QC denied the opportunity to earn as much as other high earning colleagues in the practice.  Reports say the firm is not best pleased about this affair coming out into the public gaze.  She made a formal complaint in 2007 and says that Mr. Stewart said ‘ there was no place for her in chambers’  Miss Bijlani says she was systematically denied chances on the grounds that amounted to racism by white legal clerks.  Colourfully named the ‘millionaire lawyers’ probably because of their fees and profits, the case will be heard in the Central London Employment Tribunal.

 Lawyers still cream off profits in Legal Aid ‘

Although an item we did earlier suggested that the Justice system had put an end to huge sums of legal aid being made by solicitors, — they lied, LAWYER MUDASSAR ARANI received a staggering £4.5million in legal aid from the taxpayers.  This 2009 revelation shows the Southall firm of ARANI & CO were taking sums of around £20,000 a week.  It states she specializes in defending those arrested on terrorist charges.  The Legal Services Commission which funds legal aid claimed that the costs represented staff, using solicitors and case workers etc.  The Bar Council assured the public that it would crack down on legal aid, but it appears they say one thing and do another — quite typical really.

‘ Lawyer resorts to intimidation in bid to show power ‘

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL VERA BAIRD showed her true nature when she was confronted in a park near Kings Cross over her puppy fouling the area — and she made no attempt to clean it up despite the law coming down heavily on other people who allow their dogs to do the same.  She retorted to telling the woman, Jane King, ‘ you don’t know who I am ‘ indicating she was special, privileged and powerful (something that many lawyers do to intimidate the public). 

‘ BARRISTER IN FRAUD THEFT OF CHILDREN’S’ CHARITIES ‘

SUCCESSFUL LAWYER JULIE BURNS wrote dozens of cheques to herself stealing from children’s charities whilst in a capacity of helping them, but she was helping herself to their cash.  The Barrister stole over £85,000 it was revealed as she admitted the charges at Southwark Crown Court.  Her ex-cop husband David Burns was stood by her in court as she was convicted.  She admitted three counts of fraud and obtaining property by deception between the years 2003 and 2008, — and forging a criminal records check form in order to keep secret a previous conviction for mortgage fraud.  It was revealed that she had been jailed for two years in 1992.  She lied and covered up the offences whilst enjoying the trust of her colleagues said Detective Sgt. Simon Russen of the City of London Police.  She claimed that some money had been paid back, but the police found no trace of this being true and it helped her with the fact the school records did not go back far enough.

BREAKING NEWS IN BRIEF –  Richard Barrymore has forwarded a note concerning two firms of solicitors containing around 30 lawyers combined who have been involved in a scam with siphoning client accounts and claiming excessive legal aid payments.

COMPLAINTS BUREAU RESIST AND HINDER ENQUIRIES INTO NAMING LAWYERS STRUCK 0FF — Richard Barrymore tells us that recent avenues of enquiry into who and how many solicitors have been struck off has met with deliberate attempts to side-track him and in some cases – ‘warn him off with threats’  It seems that his enquiries are not only annoying the Society but the Bar Council members too.  He tells us they consider themselves untouchables and try to make out that it is privileged information which can only be accessed by those ‘authorised to gain such sensitive information’ — which means no public access at all.

‘ DRINK/DRIVE LAWYER LOSES APPEAL ‘

LAWYER JEFFREY SPARKE of Cheshire, who was jailed after a family row and caught drink driving, which led to a 12 month driving ban had his appeal to reduce it thrown out by Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.  The Judge said he was a roaring drunk and a bragger — this last point came as the police told the court that the lawyer had boasted about earning £180,000 a year when resisting arrest. At the original trial he was convicted not only of drink/driving but two charges of assault on his mother-in-law and a family friend. He was jailed for five months for an assault on his wife, Jayne, at Tameside Magistrates Court.

‘ SOLICITOR FINED FOR TAKING CLIENT’S MONEY ‘

CLIFTON SOLICITOR TIMOTHY ELLIOTT made several unlawful account changes, and took £12,000 from a client account and put it into his own.  Elliott of the firm of Elliott’s solicitors in the Mall admitted using client’s money for his own purposes. Investigations revealed that there was a shortage of £19,000 in the firm’s accounts.  He denied four counts of dishonesty, but these were subsequently proved.  ‘ Wrongly using client funds ‘  ‘ Obtaining client’s funds for costs, which he knew or ought to have known he could not justify, and improperly obtaining costs from a legally aided client ‘ Elliott was fined £5000, but allowed to continue as a practicing solicitor?

‘ CHILD PORN SOLICITOR FINED ‘

LAWYER PATRICK MACAVOY of Egham, Surrey, was fined £1,500 by Slough Magistrates when it was discovered that he had images of child pornography on his computer.  It was also revealed by way of a clever journalist that the solicitor had been reprimanded and fined £1,275 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over porn being found on his computer by them during a swoop on his office.

‘ PROPERTY LAWYER JAILED FOR FRAUD ‘

LAWYER TONY LILLEYSTONE based in TAUNTON, Somerset, was jailed for 30 months after admitting eight counts of fraud during the hearing at Taunton Crown Court.  The greedy Lawyer pocketed £346,000 in a ‘Conveyancing Fraud ‘ (yes that again as Michael Joseph mentioned in his book).  Solicitor Lilleystone worked 20 years with the Government Property Lawyers Office in Castle Street, Taunton.  The Fraud started earlier when he worked at the Government branch in London, which involved purchases of land by the Highways Agency. On discovering an error of payment, in that the sum of £75,000 by the Highways Agency had been duplicated, he set up an account ‘ solicitors Bolin & Co’ at the Nationwide and took it for himself. He had the full trust of the firm and all the while he was using the new account to pocket huge amounts.

‘ FORGERY SOLICITOR UNDER POLICE INVESTIGATION ‘

LAWYER KENNETH ANDERSON is under investigation by police for forging divorce decrees by the Lothian and Borders Police in Scotland.  Professional charges are also underway by his own Law Society in relation to misconduct by the solicitor who confirmed it is to prosecute the lawyer.

‘ DRINK/DRIVE LAWYER SLUMPED AT THE WHEEL ‘

SOLICITOR WILLIAM PALMER of Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucester, appeared before Gloucester Magistrates on charges of drink-driving.  He was found to be three times over the legal limit when he was discovered slumped over his steering wheel in his Mercedes. He was fined £850 and banned from driving for 27 months.

‘ HIGH-SOCIETY LAWYER IN £1MILLION FRAUD ‘

LAWYER ADRIAN JACKMAN was suspended from the firm TURNER COULSON & CO when irregularities revealed that up to a million pounds was missing from accounts.  All these accounts were handled by Jackman and one amount of £180,000 on a house sale had just vanished?  The Northampton firm brought in the police when they estimated the missing funds to be around a million pounds.  Solicitor Jackman is a Freeman of the City of London and a Governor on the board of a leading Grammar School.  Jackman was not available to comment.

‘ COUNCIL SOLICITOR IN MASQUERADE TO DECEIVE COURT ‘

SOLICITOR MISS TRIPAT HAYRE a council legal chief with Rochester Council Legal Services was caught masquerading as her sister in a trial.  It was discovered that her mother had been involved in a civil action and her sister was to be present as a representative in the case but could not appear.  Solicitor Miss Tripat Hayre thought she could take her place and get away with the deception, but unluckily she was recognised by the plaintiff’s solicitor who recognised from the ‘ university days’  The DPP decided to prosecute her for ‘ an attempt to pervert the course of justice ‘ she was suspended and fined for misleading the court and ordered to pay costs of £1,762.

‘ PERJURY LAWYER COMMITS SUICIDE ‘

LAWYER DAVID DOLTON of Bournemouth, Dorset committed suicide after a court confrontation.  He was accused as a liar by a Mr.Coulter in a High Court Case.  Coulter even threatened the lawyer with a citizen’s arrest during the private hearing.  The inquest revealed that police were investigating him over claims that he had lied on behalf of a client in the case. The coroner said the solicitor had feared he had made a disastrous mistake which would have ended his career and led to a possible jail sentence and financial ruin.

‘ SOLICITOR ARRESTED IN FRAUD PROBE ‘

BRISTOL LAWYER MICHAEL GREET was taken into custody after being arrested by police investigating his business affairs.  The solicitor was the subject of a five month fraud inquiry by the Somerset and Avon Police.  A court hearing was told that ‘ very substantial sums of money ‘ had vanished without explanation. The Solicitor was also declared bankrupt with debts of £1.5 million.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR FORGERY, THEFT AND FRAUD ‘

SOLICITOR GREGORY CHALLENOR appeared before Winchester Crown Court on charges of false accounting, forgery and theft.  He asked for 41 similar offences to be taken into consideration.  It was stated that he had obtained £250,000 by making false claims to the Legal Aid Board.  He invented false legal claims, clients etc to claim legal aid.  Police seized several driving licences, birth certificates and bank details from the solicitor’s home in Chichester, West Sussex.  It was revealed that the solicitor needed a sex change operation and in desperation to fund this he began using the names of five dead infants to launder money , and that this just went from one thing to another.

‘ GUN THREAT SOLICITOR WAS ENRAGED ‘

LAWYER GARETH JESSOP of PANNONE & PARTNERS in Manchester appeared in court charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.  The court heard that the solicitor loaded a colt 45 handgun and threatened to shoot Robert Towersey.  Jessop was with Towersey’s wife, a secretary at the law firm.  Towersey had come to speak to him about the situation and it was then that Jessop pointed the automatic pistol at him.

‘ EMBEZZLING LAWYER COULD NOT COPE ‘

SOLICITOR LAWRENCE WILLIAMS of the law firm, Stewarts, Nicol, D and J. Hill of Wellington St, Glasgow, was getting more than 20 parking tickets a day, amassing huge fines.  In order to pay these he embarked on a plan to use money from clients accounts.  Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how he he used cash from trader’s accounts as they often dealt in cash rather than cheques, hence the amounts were small to begin with.  However, the fines continued and so did the embezzlement.  The firm paid back all money that had been stolen and Williams was struck off.

‘ STALKER BARRISTER JAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME ‘

BARRISTER ROBERT ABBOTS was hauled into court for a second time – breaking a court order not to go near Janet Bookham, a former colleague with the Customs and Excise.  Five years of harassment and still the barrister continued despite going to jail for making Anna Fink’s life a misery for which he received 42 days.  The High Court Judge jailed Abbots for six months.  The court heard that the barrister had been arrested twice under the new ‘ anti-stalking Protection from harassment Act.

‘ SOLICITOR FORGES SIGNATURE ‘

LAWYER SHEENA KHAN was convicted of forgery at Preston Crown Court after it was told she forged a colleague’s signature on a witness statement for her own case at a tribunal.  She was bringing a case against her employers – the firm Robert Broudie, but when her colleague Miss Clarke declined to sign, the solicitor forged her signature on a prepared typed statement.  She was jailed for six months.

‘ COUNCIL LEGAL DEPARTMENT SOLICITOR IN RENT ARREARS ‘

HACKNEY COUNCIL SOLICITOR ABDUL ZAINU DEEN who incidentally is the lawyer who goes suing tenants for unpaid rent on behalf of the council actually owed £6,685 in rent arrears over a period of six years.  The scandal came to light during a look at arrears in general when it was revealed that over 500 council employees owed a total of £ 600,000 in rent themselves.  The £26,000 a year solicitor in the legal department was finally evicted from the property he owed rent on , but a spokesman said non of the arrears had been paid off and they would investigate the matter.

‘ BANKRUPT SOLICITOR IN DECEPTION ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN STEWART of Westerham, appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on deception charges in relation to a falsified cheque stub for £64.99.  He also pleaded guilty to obtaining services by deception form at Barclays Commercial Services, by falsely declaring himself as a director of Bookbase whilst being declared a bankrupt.  A further six charges of false accounting were laid on the file.  He was remanded on bail for sentencing.

‘ SOLICITOR IS JAILED OVER EMBEZZLEMENT ‘

LAWYER ALEXANDRA MACRAE – formerly STEPHEN MACRAE, was sent to prison for 15 months after being found guilty of stealing £16,000 and failing to repay the money into the client’s account.

‘ DRINK/DRIVE LAWYER ARRESTED OVER FRENCH INCIDENT ‘

BRITISH LAWYER DIPAK. JOTANGIA from London was arrested by French Police over an incident when he drove unfit and twice over the limit — that he reversed his Alfa Romeo into revellers on the Champs Eysees. Fifteen people suffered fractures as a result of the accident .  The solicitor spent three days in custody and charged with an offence that carries a ten years jail term.

‘ SOLICITOR IN INVALID WILL CASE ‘

FAMILY SOLICITOR MICHAEL CADGE was accused by judge justice Briggs of neglect and improper conduct over the will of 89 year-old Mr. Kay, who was clearly unable top satisfy the capacity of having a sound mind and understanding of what he was doing — he did not have the mental capacity to do it’ said the judge. ‘ therefore the will was invalid because the solicitor did not follow proper procedure’  he also said the solicitor could find himself facing a bill for the three-day trial.   — The Jane Key, Mary Boykin’s case in the High Court.

‘ SOLICITOR’S LAW FIRM IS SHUT DOWN ‘

BRISTOL LAWYER JEREMY SECRETT had his practice shut down and his practice certificate suspended by the Office of Supervision of Solicitors.  The Law Society remained secretive in the matter and along with the OSS would not say why they had closed the law firm down.  It has been revealed that the solicitor will face disciplinary proceedings.  The Law Society spokesperson commented ‘ We usually have to close down about 80 firms a year.’

‘ LAW SOCIETY CHIEF CAUGHT STALKING ‘

SENIOR LAW SOCIETY CHIEF, RICHARD PEARCE was charged with stalking a woman whilst on a train journey.  The Law Chief from Fleet in Hampshire has been charged under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.  The woman victim in her 40’s was on the train from Hampshire to London.  The £50,000 a year Law Society Chief is under investigation for a number of incidents of a sexual nature.  The Law Society said ‘ as the charges do not relate to dishonesty he can continue to work with the society ‘

‘ SENIOR COURT ADMINISTRATOR POCKETS FINES ‘

LEGAL AIDE JEFFREY SLATER appeared before Chichester Crown Court on charges of theft.  The fraud of £75,902 were taken over a period of four years by way of fines that amounted to £300 or £400 a week.  Slater had devised the court’s accounting system while in charge of court expenditure.  He delayed payments to the CPS and police thus covering his tracks.  Those who paid the fines did not realise they were going straight into the pocket of a court official.  He was convinced that the trust in him by the court, the CPS and Police would allow him to continue without being exposed to checks the court was told.  He was jailed for three years

‘ Spoilt-brat Barrister steps up the pressure to get the upper hand ‘

Furious Barrister Joanna Cash just had to have the rules changed in her favour in a conservative power battle.  Rival Armanda Sayers could not be tolerated or allowed to get in as far as the Barrister was concerned, her arrogance like many other lawyers came first.  She is said to have resigned in a huff and stormed out of a meeting, but she now denies this and says it might have been perceived this way.  Armanda Sayers was already in line to be the representative until Cash, the privileged and rich lawyer – who was not prepared to be pushed out or overlooked, used undue pressure and influence to manipulate others and have the decision overturned to her advantage — so she got what she wanted.

‘ FRAUD LAWYER IS JAILED — BUT SUES HER BOSSES ‘

CITY LAWYER KATE JOHNS was sent to jail for five years at Southwark Crown Court after defrauding one of the richest banks out of nearly £4 million in order to enjoy a good lifestyle and help a friend.  She used £1.95 million for a lavish lifestyle, £1.1 million to support her Georgian townhouse in Camden, and £1.1 million to the friend who had a failing airline business.  She is now suing the Japanese bank Tokyo-Mitsubishi for whom she worked as deputy head of legal services, for £12 million.

‘ Barrister in parking row resorts to legal ‘heavy muscle’ tactics ‘

BARRISTER GABRIELLE SHAW along with her husband were charged with common assault as they embarked on a legal battle over parking space at a Sainsbury Supermarket.  Mrs Hughes and her husband had bagged the space just as the Shaws thought they had it.  A row ensued and Mrs Shaw was keen to point out ‘ that she was a barrister ‘  She even hired a top London Barrister to intimidate the simple folk – the Hughes.  However, in the Magistrates Court they found the Hughes not guilty of ‘ a breach of public order.  The saga ended in a sort of stalemate. It then escalated when Mr. Shaw blocked in the Hughes vehicle and the police were called.  The police charged the Shaws with intimidation.  The high profile lawyer Adrian Fulford QC represented the Shaws and argued on the point there had been an abuse of process, and won.  What this case shows is an arrogant barrister who turns to the profession to put pressure on her opponents using wealth and privilege.

‘ Barrister in divorce payment row ‘

BARRISTER DAVID VAUGHAN QC finds himself in court as his ex-wife is looking to receive a settlement of £560,000 even though she divorced him 25 years before.  The case is to go before three judges at the Civil Appeal Court  in London.  This was a result after her £27,000 maintenance payments were stopped by a judge last year.  

NEWS UPDATE :  ‘BARRISTER FAILS TO CONVINCE NEW JUDGE IN ATTEMPT TO DENY CLAIM ‘

Barrister David Vaughn QC lost his case in front of Judge Lord Justice Hughes, who said that the barrister could clearly afford to pay.  His ex-wife was awarded £215,000.  He has also been billed with the costs – estimated to be around £400,000.  His lawyer Nicholas Mostyn QC tried to make out that his client could not afford it on the grounds he was supporting a second wife — the judge said this had no bearing on the claim and that the first judge had got it wrong on the point of being bias.

‘ Conspiracy by U.K. Law Firm to hide debts ‘

THE CITY FIRM OF LINKLATERS were exposed in an article as having conspired with the U.S. Banking giants Lehman Brothers to conceal fifty billion dollars of debt because American Lawyers were not allowed to engage in corporate deceit and using accounting practices that English Lawyers can. This move by Linklaters was obviously designed to thwart the investigation into losses and other discrepancies within Lehman Brothers.  A report on this found that Lehman used Linklaters in this transaction ‘to create a materially misleading picture of the firm’s financial condition in 2007 and 2008.’  We suggest that Linklaters read the definition of corruption as stated by The Law Commission on an earlier article by Stephen Silber QC.

‘ Ombudsman’s enquiries blocked by Chancellor’s Department ‘

THE OMBUDSMAN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CHANCELLOR’S DEPT when he found that the Law Office stood in the way of an investigation he was carrying out into complaints about court staff.  He was investigating eight particularly serious complaints,  The Then Lord Chancellor at first accepted the Ombudsman’s right to examine six of the eight cases, but later retracted on this saying only the civil servants could be investigated and the department was not obliged legally to include court staff who were immune.  This kind of thing yet again shows that the Legal Profession think they are above the law.

‘ Law Firm intimidate inquiry and gag debate ‘

LAW FIRM WITHERS LLP who practise in International Law ran into trouble as they tried to suppress a debate on a planning dispute which MP John Hemming wanted to discuss in the house of commons chamber.  Mr. Hemmings said ‘ We have had a number of problems recently with attempts to prevent freedom of speech ‘  Under House of Commons rules a person or organisation can be found in contempt of Parliament if they attempt to prevent an MP speaking freely in the chamber.  Withers are relying on their ‘ Qualified Privilege’ and say they are acting simply on behalf of their client — where have we heard that one before?

‘ BAR COUNCIL BELITTLE BLACK LAWYER ‘

BARRISTER PETER HERBERT was facing a Bar Council disciplinary hearing.  He was shocked to find that he was subjected to a speech by Mr. David Pannick QC who conducted cases fro the CRE that amounted to showing that the black lawyers were inferior in his view and the Bar’s view.  This matter surrounded a letter Mr.Herbert had written to the Bar Council on behalf of the Society of Black Lawyers.  They responded by instituting disciplinary proceedings against the barrister.  Mr. Herbert, a leading black barrister with chambers in Grays Inn asked for copies of the Bar constitution from David Jones , secretary of the Bar Council Professional Conduct Committee and was answered with hostility and a ‘wholly racist ‘ language.  A similar tone was adopted by David Stokes QC who treated him like a child.  Mr. Herbert demanded an apology and withdrawal from the bar council, compensation and a promise to monitor its disciplinary proceedings, adopt an equality code and offer race training for every barrister.

‘ Bar Council initiate Cover- up ‘

Not surprisingly, suppression by Lawyers is a common practice and one emphatically denied by them of course — but hardly believed.  A source within the great halls of this judicial body — the brotherhood of lies and deceit — has informed us that several members of the elite Bar Council have suppressed a legal scam carried out by a group of city barristers.  Our insider says that the scam concerns misappropriation of cash and that papers concerning the matter have been seen only by a select group of lawyers and access to them barred even to the General Committee in order to control the situation, not only from public gaze but the police also.  The matter is said to be ‘ delicate and sensitive ‘  We have no doubt that as per usual it will be buried and in time a mere figment of the imagination by those who might happen to refer to it in conversation at a local bar in the Grays Inn area.

‘ LEGAL AID – THE LAWYERS GRAVY TRAIN ‘

LEGAL AID CAN BE ABUSED AS WE ALREADY KNOW, and it is the Solicitors and Barristers that are the offenders, culprits and beneficiaries of the Taxpayers cash.  We shall look here into three different cases of where that lucrative cash finds itself and the amazing legal aid board decisions. 

ONE LEGAL FIRM – FREETH CARTWRIGHT managed to get £8.5 million in one year alone it was listed in the top ‘ fat cat ‘ firms of lawyers.  They shared with the others the fantastic £66 million of taxpayers cash.  ALUN JONES QC and MALCOLM SWIFT QC both earned over half a million pounds each.  Despite a clampdown on these kind of fees squeezed out of the taxpayer, three times as many lawyers were getting around £500,000 from legal aid casework. 

BARRISTER COLIN ROSS-MUNRO took three quarters of a million pounds of legal aid in a fraud case – defending Jawad Hashim.  They lost in court and Hashim fled to the U.S.A. avoiding a jail sentence and that was it.  Two other defence barristers in the case – Hugo Page (£531,734) and Adam Lewis (£194,205) and one other Ian Brownlie QC earned £69,178.  Quite a nice earner considering the outcome?

LEGAL AID TO SUE THE LEGAL AID BOARD?  indeed, even though you probably find this unbelievable.  Kim Barrett a businessman– he was awarded legal aid of £2,500 to seek a lawyer’s advice about taking the legal aid board to court for damages. Previously he’d been to court on legal aid in a contest with Kris Lawrence about unpaid wages.  Both parties were legally aided, Kim lost and faced a demand for £51,000.  He felt that the legal aid board had been negligent towards him and claimed legal aid to support a new case.  The board denied this, yet some days later a certificate of legal aid arrived for him to sue the board.

‘ Solicitors in the dock over complaints ‘

The National Consumer Council said that a new Legal Services Complaints Council independent of the Law Society should replace The Solicitor’s Complaints Bureau.  They suggested complaints awards against solicitors should be £5,000.  Under the SCB existing procedures went in favour of the solicitors.  Complaints were not properly investigated and complainants faced delays and unnecessary bureaucratic barriers.  The main stumbling block was that the SCB was funded by the Law Society who were not keen to discipline or prosecute its members.  Serious flaws like the ‘ helpform ‘ and other paperwork required knowledge of the professional practice standards, but complainants were not helped with this.  Lady Wilcox the NCC chairperson said ‘ ‘ when solicitors standards fell short of what could be expected, consumers needed access to to a complaints procedure which was easy to use, and which recognised the difficulties faced by any lay person taking on ‘ highly skilled seasoned professionals ‘.  Unfortunately the SCB’s handling of consumer complaints is flawed’ she said ‘ for too many consumers taking a case to the SCB will mean the start of a bureaucratic nightmare that can last for years.’

BRISTOL UNIVERSITY LOOKS INTO THE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM – A report by a team looking into solicitors found that solicitors refused to take complaints seriously.  Three quarters of clients were dissatisfied with the handling of their complaint.  The most common complaints were – high fees – lack of communication – poor advice – delays – and professional collusion.  The research based on 16 firms found ‘ a pervading negative view  of its requirements to handle complaints properly.  The one attitude that came out top was ‘ solicitors know best ‘ and this infuriated complainants more than anything else.  There seemed to be a culture of ‘ we do nothing wrong’

THE FLAWED COMPLAINTS SYSTEM – Insider Nigel X speaks out on this to us.

Corrupt solicitors are being helped by the SCB, – Nigel X is still working in this field and has with the bureau that promised to protect the public and root out bent lawyers.  Nigel tells us we are being duped by The Law Society in that actual statistics and figures are mainly propaganda designed to convince the public that solicitors are giving a good service even when they are not. Nigel sent us the following that supports ‘in-house protection for member solicitors.

A – Many thousands of complaints are lodged by telephone from disgruntled persons and clients who immediately jump to the phone when they have been cheated by a solicitor or firm. Half of these calls are dismissed or are not logged when they come in.  Sometimes they are told to refer their complaint to the solicitor in question, but this is absurd as the relationship with that solicitor has already broken down.  So the majority of phone calls are not followed up.

B – If the bureau accepts a complaint and pretends to be interested, the case worker uses the term ‘ this could be highly expensive if you proceed’ knowing that this will have a very negative effect on the complainant causing anxiety and generally the complainer abandons the action.

C-  I f the Law Society ‘ investigates’ the complaint – they make an appointment with the solicitor named in the complaint and send a representative to discuss the matter.  Strangely, it’s not always a solicitor who investigates, very few in fact of a legal expertise, sometimes an office clerk and to his knowledge even an ex-cop has been used.  The complaint is discussed and that is about it.  Verbal warnings are rarely given and official paper ones only now and then, the matter is concluded as settled — but not to the complainant who has been left with a feeling they have been mugged or lied to by a con man.

‘ The Racist Criminal Justice System ‘

APPEAL COURT JUDGE LORD JUSTICE BROOKE admitted that most courts were racist and attempts to make them fairer were being resisted by the Criminal Justice System.  ‘ More blacks are being sent to jail by courts on every level, and they are jailed unfairly’ he commented.  More black people, especially young men are stopped by police often on the whim or a police officer’s attitude and discrimination.  The Court in turn immediately thinks they are trouble and a guilty verdict has already been decided as soon as the black defendant goes up in the box or walks through the doors of the court.  Statistics show a great divide between whites and blacks and that is very disturbing.  Lawyers and that means white middle class solicitors and barristers are not keen to represent them, that’s why in most cases they seek out a black lawyer, it’s their best choice really.  Whatever justice there is or fairness there might be — the black lawyer will give it his or her best.

‘ Solicitor admits – What the client doesn’t know is to our advantage ‘

CHEATING THE CLIENT IS FAIRLY EASY says solicitor Ian Fairburn (a lawyer of 30 years).  ‘ We all capitalise on this fact because 99 out of 100 people who walk through our doors and into the office cannot understand the law; that is why they come in the first place.’ he said.  He told our Investigator Richard Barrymore, and quite cockily too, that many of his colleagues in the profession profited on ‘ the letter principle ‘ —  you send letters to your client on any pretext, sometimes to questions they haven’t asked — and tell them they did if they query it, — they tend to back down straight away — probably in fear of the bill they are going to get — they become very apologetic, and you enjoy that in a rather perverse way.  Their bill gets larger whether or not they moan.’  ‘Cheap cases are not worth engaging in or taking on even if there is a sound principle of law supporting the claim, so most of us avoid them unless we can fiddle the legal aid, which used to be easier than it is now.  The bigger firms have the know-how to get around the new regulations and still milk it because of all the experience they can   draw from.  They rarely get caught out, and they kick up a storm if the Law Society come at them.’  ‘ If a client phones you, you add that to the bill and include another fake call suggesting you returned the call and book in your time spent making sure it is doubled. — if you are into a nice earner, a fat complicated case — you delay it — it is known in the profession as a ‘ bread and butter ‘ case, not to be disturbed or wound up early.  You delay it and keep it going.  All of us earn a great deal on those, most clients have no idea what goes on in law firms anyway, — they just wait for it to be over.  In the event we get a complaint, we drop the case no matter what, even if it’s incomplete or going nowhere at the time.  The client doesn’t come back, and for us it’s over — we don’t really care, we have other fish to fry!’

‘ INSIDER-DEALING SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER CHRISTOPHER McQUOID of Pilgrim St, London was struck off the solicitors roll.  McQuoid of Cromwell and Moring Solicitors, had appeared before Southwark Crown Court where he’d been convicted of ‘ Insider-dealing’ — and was sentenced to eight months in prison.  The tribunal decided it was serious enough to have him struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £1,325.

‘ SOLICITOR IN ‘minor’ MISCONDUCT ‘

LAWYER GEORGE SHIAKALLIS of LGS Solicitors, Chase Road, Southgate, North London appeared before the tribunal due to the SRA making more heat out of the case according to the SDT.  The solicitor had denied allegations over a client meeting which was not — and he had not been retained anyway? — suggesting that he hadn’t been misleading during discussions.  The tribunal put other matters raised by the SRA aside and ruled that the solicitor had only breached a minor misconduct — he was ordered to pay £5,000 costs.

‘ LAW FIRM SOLICITOR TOLD LIES ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL OTOBO of Slough, who joined the partnership of Collisons, Makers Hayward without accepting the normal liabilities that come with such a position was struck off by the tribunal.  It was said that he practised without a current certificate after describing himself as a solicitor at Cardinals when he appeared at a Asylum and Immigration tribunal — and most of what he claimed and said was untrue.  The board said that he was not open and honest.  He was ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

‘ LAWYER A RISK TO THE PUBLIC ‘

SOLICITOR NEIL A BASHIR of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, breached the circumstances and conditions of a county court order, and failed to act with integrity, the tribunal heard.  He also snubbed the SRA in that he did not co-operate fully and failed to deliver accounting.  The tribunal were satisfied that he was a risk to the public and he should be struck off.  He was ordered to pay £5,469 costs.

‘ NINE OFFENCES SOLICITOR IS JAILED ‘

LAWYER ALAN BENSTOCK of HM Prison Leeds, and Stanningly Rd, Leeds, appeared before the court on nine charges of theft — in that had had misused client account money for his own use.  He was sentenced to 22 months in jail after being found guilty.  The Solicitors Tribunal heard how he had misappropriated client account cash from controlled accounts.  They ruled that he must be struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £19,040.

‘ DISHONEST BEHAVIOUR LAWYER IS SUSPENDED ‘

SOLICITOR DEREK R LINDSEY of Mair Williams Solicitors in Parc Merlin, Aberystwyth was suspended for three months by a tribunal who heard that the solicitor had misled clients and improperly used client accounts.  Lindsey entered a plea of illness and depression being the reason for his failures.  Although he deserved being struck off, the tribunal decided a suspension would suffice, and ordered him to pay costs of £12,000.

‘ FIRM SOLICITORS FINED OVER ACCOUNTS ‘

LAWYERS OKECHUKWU NGWUOCHA and MOHAMMED AZIZ both of Kaihiua & Co. Solicitors, London, were fined respectively £1,000 and £1,500 for accounting failures.  It was said that Aziz had also withdrawn money from client accounts contrary to the rules and had not remedied breaches committed.  They were ordered to pay costs totalling £4,000.

‘ LAWYER CONVICTED OF 31 OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN ‘

SOLICITOR BRIAN K ASHLEY of Manchester, was found guilty and indicted under The Protection of Children Act for committing 31 offences over a period whilst being a solicitor.  The tribunal found the matter serious as it was necessary in his position to nurture trust, and this he could not, as he posed a danger to young children — the tribunal ordered that he should be struck off, and he was ordered to pay costs of £600.

‘ FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES SOLICITOR IS FINED ‘

LAWYER WING HING HOWARD CHAN of Aston Law Association, Solicitors, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, was fined £1,000 by the tribunal after hearing that the solicitor had withdrawn cash from a client account so that he could get by.  The tribunal ruled that this was improper use and a breach.  They also emphasised that the rules were there to protect the public and client.  Although the breach involved small sums which he admitted, he was ordered to pay costs of £8,504.

‘ WILLS FORGERY LAWYER IS AXED ‘

SOLICITOR ERIEN DUBASH of Stanmore, Middlesex, was struck off by the tribunal after considering that the lawyer had been convicted in a criminal court of forgery in connection with a will, resulting in one indictment contrary to the Theft Act 1968  The tribunal understood that she had furnished false information at the court.  The tribunal ordered that she should be struck off and ordered her to pay costs of £600.

‘ SOLICITOR IN COMPLAINTS ROW IS FINED ‘

LAWYER JULIAN PETER FALLOWS of Tipton, West Midlands, came into conflict with two clients, — and instead of addressing their complaints about how he’d handled their affairs, the solicitor, who’d put in a defence of health problems to the tribunal, failed to deal with the SRA properly and promptly — and acted in a non-c0-operative way.  The tribunal fined him £1,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £2,500.

‘ REWARD LAWYER BREACHES REFERRAL CODE ‘

SOLICITOR MARTIN FARRELL-BREWER of Ashtead, Surrey, appeared before the tribunal over making payments to management companies which constituted as reward for the introduction of work contrary to the rules.  The tribunal heard that he had been undergoing cash flow problems.  The tribunal fined him £3,000 and made a decision to assess costs later on agreement.

‘ IMMIGRATION SOLICITOR IS JAILED ‘

LAWYER GABRIEL E GABMAN was sent to HM Prison Ford Open Prison near Arundel in West Sussex for his part in an immigration fraud.  The solicitor was found guilty on one count of possessing false identity documents and two counts of assisting an unlawful immigration into the EU.  He was sentenced to four years in prison.  The Solicitors Tribunal ordered him to be struck off and pay costs of £1,106.

‘ LAWYERS FLOUT REGULATIONS ARE FINED ‘

SOLICITORS – JOHN McARDLE, GEOFFREY CARDWELL, PHILLIP G MITCHELL, JAMES PHILLIPS, ANDREW C RUSSELL and JULIE MATHIESON, all of McARDLES, SOLICITORS, Duke St, Darlington, appeared before a tribunal for breaches of the regulations, which seriously undermined client confidence and left some without the statutory protection they should have been entitled to.  Contingency fees and referrals were not properly adhered to and they failed to provide clients with the proper information regarding referral agreements.  The tribunal fined the first five solicitors £1,000 each, and the sixth solicitor £750.  The six were ordered to pay costs of £20,000 collectively.

‘ DISHONEST SOLICITOR IN MONEY-LAUNDERING ‘

LAWYER MAHMOOD MIRZA of Sheffield, gave out false documents to clients knowing them to be untrue as he embarked on transactions that amounted to money laundering the tribunal heard.  The solicitor did not disclose information to clients and acted dishonestly in conveyance matters regarding evidence of identification — and permitted funds from client accounts to be withdrawn.  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off and pay costs of £38,522.

‘ ACCOUNT ABUSE LAWYER IS SUSPENDED ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN J HENDELES of St. Albans, Hertfordshire was suspended for five years after a tribunal heard evidence of client accounts being improperly misused.  He also failed to keep records of transactions and took money which exceeded the money held on the clients behalf.  The tribunal also added that they found he acted recklessly.  He was ordered to pay costs of £19,000.

‘ Too many Lawyers after power and wealth’

JACK STRAW THE GOVERNMENT JUSTICE CHIEF says there are too many lawyers in Britain in a recent speech to MP,s and that they are a burden on the taxpayer.  Straw is a lawyer himself, and it has taken him a long time to figure this out.  He tells us the legal aid budget has blown out from £545 million in the 1980’s to a staggering £2.1 billion pounds in 2009.  It is very strange that he could not see or perceive such an increase in lawyers when it has been obvious since the 1990’s that more students have been going into law and applying for pupilage etc, not for the greater good of society, but to line their pockets and earn fortunes in a profession that guards its interests very strongly — keeping the public and police at arm’s length.  This page and site shows swindling and fraud to be high on the list of common greed solicitors and barristers engage in.  They find nice fat client accounts too irresistible which in some ways, leads to the drink/driving lawyers who spend great amounts of cash on boozing.  Some of the others prefer little boys, spanking, whiplash sessions and covering their tracks with lies and deceit.  The only other notable feature that is far more serious and alarming is that they bar all enquiries into bent lawyers and make it very difficult to obtain details of solicitors who have been struck off and barristers who have been barred from practise. The protection the bar council give is amazing and the Law Society fudge and freeze out close scrutiny.  Each year they fail to comply with agreements to weed out bad lawyers, and we all know why.

‘ Barrister resigns after compromising chambers ‘

LAWYER ROBERT GRIERSON of the Birmingham chambers ST. PHILIPS CHAMBERS run by JAMES BURBIDGE QC was called on to resign when it became known the barrister was standing as a British National Party MP in the elections.  He said it was not a sign of any wrongdoing that his resignation seemed to indicate, even though chambers considered their reputation could be harmed by the BNP racist attitudes having one of their lawyers involved.

‘ City Bankers and lawyers in £4m fee paid by Government Agency ‘

A Public Accounts Committee deplored the handout of £4million by a little known government agency to wealthy bankers and their lawyers.  The deal to hire their professional advice was described as ‘ unacceptable ‘ particularly given the Shareholder Executive Bank UBS is staffed by a wealth of former city investment bankers and lawyers.  The body advises the government on the management of its commercial assets including Royal Mail.  The Committee were led to believe that in the need for cost cutting that it would have ‘ in-house’ advice and expertise already available.  This only goes to making lawyers and bankers richer and breeds greed in these areas, which is already too transparent these days.

‘ Government Lawyers in telephone fiddle ‘

LAWYERS IN THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE and DEPARTMENT of WORK and PENSIONS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A TELEPHONE SCAM that is costing taxpayers £15million a year, according to figures issued by the government Audit Watchdog.  This fiddle has uncovered calls made for personal use on a massive scale and kinky sex lines.  Many of these solicitors, home office staff, foreign office, department of work and pensions and crown prosecution service were caught by computerised phones that record the length of calls and office extensions they were made from and more importantly — the numbers dialled.  The Government was spending up to £300million on telephone calls and fifteen million pounds is wasted on 0898 calls.  Action is to be taken to get each employee and strangely it does not mention those lawyers, to pay up or face dismissal. The Watchdog also discovered that bungling managers had allowed their departments to be overcharged for phone equipm

‘ Solicitors fabricate evidence to support claims ‘

DUNDEE LAWYERS, SIMON ALLISON and KEN GLASS have been exposed in a scam to deceive according to the Record a Scotland based paper.  The pair fabricated documents to support claims for a former employer and former landlord who were charged with housing law breaches and contravening the employment laws and regulations.  The two solicitors are said to be with the firm in 30-34 Reform St. Dundee.

‘ Lawyer murdered partner for the insurance money ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN CORT was accused of hiring someone to kill her and make it look like an accident.  Vina Patel a solicitor from the same firm died as a result of the ‘ contract killing’ and the motive was a £1.5million payout on the insurance.  Solicitor John Cort earned around £110,000 a year and had three residences, but he was also in huge debt.  The Firm CORT and Co. Solicitors, increased their business insurance cover prior to the murder. It was revealed in court that the solicitor had bank loans of £171,000. John Cort a former Conservative Councillor lived in a £1.150 a month penthouse flat and dined out in the most expensive restaurants in Chelsea.

” Lawyer dismissed over steamy novel ‘

SOLICITOR DEIRDRE CLARK in the firm of ALLEN OVERY, a top city firm was sacked after a sexy, steamy novel by her was out on sale.  The solicitor who earns around £126,000 a year is suing her boss at the Moscow Branch where she was based, — Tony Humphrey, for £3.43 million.  The book that mentions ‘ drink too much, do too many drugs ‘ did not go down too well with the firm.  She alleges that her boss was sexually obsessed and once came into her office and gave her a book on porn.  The firm made no comment about her claims or the action taken out against them.

‘ Lawyer tells rival – I will have you fitted up ‘

SOLICITOR GREGORY HANSON told his wife’s lover ‘ that he had friends in the police force who owed him a favour or two.  I can have you fitted up for something they need to pin a crime on, and it will go ahead and I will see to it if you don’t stop going out with my wife.’  Boyfriend, market trader, Keith Jobson from Hertfordshire told him to try it.  Hanson’s wife was not prepared to make any comment about the affair — only that it was casual.  ‘I knew Keith long before Gregory.’ she said.  Keith, who is rather upset by the fact Lawyers can be so devious, says that he might complain to the police or local Law Society, but he doesn’t know if he can trust either body?

‘ Solicitor resigns over fraud and expenses ‘

LAWYER BOB SMITH resigned from the law firm where he worked for twenty years after one of the partners discovered discrepancies in several of his client accounts.  Although the sums were small and were thought to be mistakes, it was agreed that his resignation would be satisfactory rather than involve procedures by the Law Society and embarrassment for the firm near Leeds.  An insider at the firm says all the money has been paid back which means that is an end to the matter.

‘ ‘Struck-off solicitor allowed to work by practising solicitor in funds scam ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL JAMES MILLS of FLP Solicitors is to face a tribunal after allowing another solicitor who had been struck-off in their London Branch, to work on client cases, which led to the misappropriation of funds.  The significant amount of missing cash was said to have been whisked away because the struck-off solicitor was left ‘unattended ‘.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority had laid down certain conditions about the way he should practice, and this said adequate support and supervision should be observed.  Solicitor Mills on the Isle of Wight claimed he was shocked by the experience.

‘ Man to sue the Treasury Solicitor for more than £5million ‘

DEREK HERSEY, a former prisoner took out writs against the Treasury Solicitor after being denied a judicial review.  He also includes in the writ two governors at the Camp Hill Prison for their part.  His claim centres on the fact that the Treasury Solicitor denied him his rights contrary to the Criminal Justice Act when he was refused leave to attend a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice.  He also says that £1.2million was stolen from him by the police when a briefcase he owned containing foreign currencies was seized by Detective Constable George Bason.  Mr. Hersey who lives in Ryde claims that justice was only served if the truth could be told and that was denied to him by the Treasury Solicitor.

‘ Solicitors face negligence claim ‘

ROBINSON, JARVIS & ROLFE have been named in a writ accusing them of professional negligence in the conveyancing of a property owned by Anthony Martin Hall.  He has filed the high court writ against the Freshwater branch of RJR claiming damages arising from the purchase of Pigeon Coo farmhouse in Hampstead.  He claims damages of up to £50,000 after he had paid for the property that had been subject to two legal charges.  A second breach by Robinson, Jarvis and Rolfe alleges that they were negligent in that they failed to make any search of the Register of Companies with a view to establish title.

BREAKING NEWS –

‘ Several Lawyers in paedophile ring discovered ‘

Our Investigator Richard Barrymore has notified us that he has been tipped off about four lawyers who are running a paedophile ring in the Luton district.  He says at the moment and it is early days yet, that a number of men including the three solicitors and one barrister use and visit a top flat in a high-rise building not far from the M1 motorway.  The group have been seen taking boys into the lift and entering the flat for sex games including bondage involving the children – mainly under age teenagers of 13 to 15.  The group are being given legal cover by the barrister who seems to run the show with a retired ex-policeman of a portly nature!

Richard has managed to identify the ex-cop as being a former officer with the Obscene Publications Squad (E8) and a traffic division liaison officer once involved in arranging raids on gays in the public houses in the Earls Court District of west London.  More news on that when we have it.

‘ Solicitor Locum is denied justice against the firm Adams Harrison ‘

Locum solicitors are regularly contracted to carry out short-term work in firms throughout the country.  One such locum was hired by Adams Harrison in Essex (run by partner – Tom Harrison).  The locum says he was very experienced in getting to grips with case-work in this kind of situation even though it was usually assigned to a junior.  He found himself working alongside Jane Bromley, a legal executive at the firm who demanded that the work he did on accounts was to bear her name on it (her having done it) instead of his.  She said clients might be ‘put-off’ if they discovered someone else had handled their confidential details.  The locum told her this was not within the rules and that it was misleading and he did not want to collude in this breach of Rule 15 of the solicitors costs information in the codes of practice.  When he complained the company made false allegations of misconduct against him.  Documents on ‘ Legal Jackass. co.uk show clearly that the Law Society failed him miserably and adopted a ‘ it’s not our problem’ attitude denying him a fair hearing when he approached them about the affair.  Even the ombudsman for the profession gave him the brush-off – hence the fact that he resorted to publishing the entire incident on the web.  Tom Harrison tried to have it removed but failed.

LEGAL JACKASS also revealed another Law Society failing – Section 9 of the conduct code says that low to mid level property fraud involving clients and their colluding solicitors will not be investigated by the Society due to economic and pressures of work overload?

‘ The Scandal of the Solicitors who get paid for doing nothing ‘

WE HAVE UNCOVERED A SCAM PERPETRATED BY SOLICITORS – the art of doing nothing yet getting paid.  We refer to solicitors on call, the legal advisors who attend police stations and the offenders that are held overnight in cells.  One in every ten lawyers have claimed their fees in such cases.  One we found out about said he often went to the race track, and if his phone went he said he was travelling to a client in distress and could he have someone else attend from the firm.  Another one boasted of being able to visit sex and spanking sessions while on call, he said it was a bit of a nuisance, but he had to tell a lie because he would often be too far away from the area.  Another solicitor on call who was making money doing something else, said when answering his mobile that his car was having trouble and this worked on most occasions, ‘ somebody from the office would do me a favour and get down to the police station’.  All these three solicitors said they knew many others who were doing it, and couldn’t see what the problem was?

GETTING PAID FOR NOTHING – that’s what the issue is!  it is fraud, and you should already know that.

‘ Investigation into Corporate Law Firm prevented ‘

Our man Richard Barrymore was down in the fleet street area following the trail of under-the-counter dealings by a major city firm of lawyers.  With information he had he got into the inner sanctum where lawyers worked in what only could be described as cubicles with just screens to mark out individual territory.  Large client portfolios, takeovers and contractual deals were being shifted about for clients who wanted more than what the law actually allows, and certain lawyers were and have been ‘ working harder than others’  Richard had already obtained a file or two, copy that is, before he was rumbled and unceremoniously ejected from the building.  When he spoke to others whilst he was on the premises, one lawyer spoke of the investigation systems into malpractice and described how that can be played.  ‘ Of course things look above board, and everybody does if they know they are being seen. Most investigations would turn up nothing, because everybody would behave and anything remotely like evidence would have disappeared before anyone from complaints came here.’

‘ Lawyer prosecutes liar in wrong department ‘

DWP Prosecuting lawyer CLAIRE BUSBY ought to turn her skill onto her own department rather than revel in taking down a liar in the NHS; we already feature gaffs as it is and the wasted millions at the taxpayers expense.  The liar at the NHS was only doing what many lawyers at the DWP do, get on the gravy train to public money, and lots of it, in any way she thought would get to it.  Many such liars can be found within the legal department of the Department of Work and Pensions — and we have already revealed their names on this page, one in particular gets top billing on our index opening page otherwise known as the home page.  To take a case of prosecuting a liar is a bit rich, as it should be ‘prosecuting a lawyer’ — same difference?  And what do we know of Claire Busby? — it might be worth while letting our bloodhound Richard find out something about her background! and her work with the DWP.

‘ Swearing, Drinking to excess – a Barrister’s Pupillage ‘

DRUNK, DISORDERLY and that’s just the lawyers introduces a book by Lawyer Alex McBride that got it’s review in The Mail.  The book titled ‘ MEMOIR ‘ tells little of himself and concentrates on the goings-on in the days of training to be a barrister.  He tells of the booze binges and swearing these trainee barristers believe is a right of passage.  During the 18 months of being a ‘pupil’ the pressures to succeed are enormous and he rightly informs us that many do not.  He owns up to some of the mistakes he made and disasters that ensued.  Strangely, some of his colleagues never do and would never admit even half of what the book tells us.

‘ Overpaid Lawyers seek to gag inquiry into UK torture ‘

A £750,000 LEGAL BILL has been hiked up over the inquiry into torture and the Government role in it.  Top Lawyers – Jonathan Sumption QC, – Pushpinder Saini QC and barrister Karen Steyn were all hired to defend the government on this issue of trying to keep the affair secret.  They were primarily hired to prevent the courts from forcing the government to be truthful, which as we should know by now — they never are.  We also know that the only people to come out on top in whatever issue or case is the lawyers, but nothing is ever done to address this imbalance in a so-called justice system that only believes in the Freedom of Information and Free speech if it suits them.  Democracy is just a word, and like propaganda it is expendable.

‘ Law Society have too many complaints to investigate solicitors ‘

We already know that The Law Society has been fined twice over a two-year period for failures concerning the investigation and rooting out of corrupt lawyers.  They claim that they are impeded by thousands of complaints that overwhelm resulting in not having the time or resources to look into all complaints?  This failure led to LAWYER DIXIT SHAH being able to abscond and leave the country amid a £9million fraud investigation.  Shah who owned the law firm of Morgan, Mattise and Co. had already been reported to them several times without anything being done.  He was already involved in a £3million swindle involving missing money from a pension fund of the Birminham Engineering firm C.W.Cheney. 

In February last year 2009, A body in government urged the solicitors to put up a ‘ Name and Shame website to reveal the rotten solicitors.  Show their complaints history and who was involved in ‘kick-backs’ and other deals contrary to fair practice. Lawyers sacked and under investigation, those who were struck-off and referral fees etc were to be published, but one year later there is no sign of this website — because it doesn’t exist and it was voted out by them because solicitors were not prepared to assist. 

It is only sites like ours that can inform you of bent lawyers, and we will continue to publish all accounts.

‘ Discipline and training for Lawyers the Miss Prim Way ‘

Yes, our Private Investigator Richard Barrymore has unearthed a ‘school’ where solicitors and judges go for ‘ pupil discipline ‘  — and where is this establishment?  HEREFORD, a so-called quiet respectable town near Wales, a place for decent folk?  Of course, these solicitors and judges would accuse us of prying into their private lives, but why not? they do it all the time with the public.  Miss Prim, Headmistress, has many clients around the country who visit the school at over a £100 a throw.  Solicitors and judges are on the school intake list (as they can afford her prices and service).  Other wealthy clients, some coming from Europe and even Dubai visit for a weekend school.  Richard tells us that Miss Prim is no stranger to Press snooping, and in 1993 she was all over the pages of The Sunday Mirror in an article that exposed some members of Barnet Council, and showed photos at the time.  She was apparently annoyed that an undercover reporter was able to get in the school and take pictures secretly for the expose , which really concentrated on the council members. The Muir Academy run by Miss Prim featured Richard Mills, a council shop steward in its manual.

FOR THOSE LAWYERS THAT DO NOT THINK WE CAN NAME SOLICITORS WE HAVE SAID FREQUENT THESE SEX PLACES, and engage in spanking — WE ARE HAPPY TO LIST JUST A FEW OF THEM BELOW (To add to others we have said are into spanking and other kinky pastimes).

‘ Queen’s Counsel Barrister in Spanking Probe ‘

BARRISTER NIGEL HAMILTON was charged with sexual harassment and suspended by the Inns of Court Disciplinary Tribunal.  He was found guilty of harassing a client and solicitor’s clerk.  The tribunal said that Hamilton ‘ engaged in conduct discreditable to a barrister ‘  During the trial it was revealed that he spanked a woman client and made lewd remarks and suggestions.  He was suspended for three months and ordered to pay £400 costs.

‘ Spanking Solicitor – the Colonel ‘

LAWYER JOHN ELLIOTT BROOKS, once the flamboyant mayor of Kensington and Chelsea was more known for his spanking adventures.  The Bottom Spanker as he liked to be referred to received a ‘half penny damages’ in a suit against the People newspaper.  The High court were less than sympathetic.  The article claimed he was a menace to girls, whereas he saw himself as a mentor and soother — so he sued the paper.

‘ Lawyer in Whipping Den ‘

AN UN-NAMED 60 YEAR-OLD LEADING BARRISTER was given immunity and secrecy after he was discovered in a sex den.  The Lawyer was moaning and shouting during a whipping when undercover Police Constable Philip Spittle came in posing as a client in order to get evidence of a ‘ disorderly house ‘ run by Lynda Al-Sabae. The Police seized whips and canes from the dungeon used for bondage.  The name of the lawyer was withheld.

‘ Lawyer on assault charge of beating the wife ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT WALKER appeared before magistrates on a charge of assault after losing his temper and beating her with a stick.  Apparently this had been going on for six years, and the beating was always over the fact that he wanted a decent dinner; which she was incapable of.  He was bound over on the condition that he got help.

‘ Barrister spanks pupils in chambers ‘

LAWYER BARRY STEWART appeared before Teesside Magistrates in Middlesbrough on four counts of assault on fellow employees.  The punishment spankings in chambers were revealed after a complaint was lodged by one of them.  The Bar Council Disciplinary Board were looking into the matter.

 ‘ Complaints Solicitor in Whipping Row ‘

LAWYER VERONICA LOWE   of the Law Society’s Complaints Bureau received 30 complaints from fellow members of the Law Society when she dressed like a miss whiplash for a stage sketch called ‘ House of Correction ‘.  In one scene there was a sign held up saying ‘ spanking and caning ‘.  The scene depicted a male lawyer being disciplined/  while she held a riding crop – and he was to be punished for breaking the rules?

‘ Lawyer wanted spanking ‘

SOLICITOR JUDITH DONEGANI appeared in court accusing her boyfriend policeman, Peter Newton of buggery, after a spanking incident went wrong.  She said in court, ‘ he spanked me very hard and caused pain, and I asked him to stop. ‘  Newton says he went round for a chat and she begged him to spank her — she’s into having cold bottles rubbed down her back and other things.  Newton was suspended after the serious allegation was lodged.

‘ Sex sessions for judges, magistrates and lawyers ‘

Wig and gown wearing Charm Henry placed adverts in phone boxes outside the Old Bailey inviting lawyers and judges to sample her ‘ courtroom sessions ‘  She said to the reporter, ‘ I’ve got lots of solicitors on my books, — lawyers and judges pay the most because they want the best.’  She ‘ holds court and sentencing ‘ at her flat in Paddington.  She fines lawyers £10 extra if they are late.

‘ Solicitor resigns over spanking sessions with client ‘

LAWYER FRANK SMITH handed in his resignation to partners after it was disclosed that he had been having spanking sessions with a client.  The North London solicitor was discovered when the client complained about his behaviour over a bill that he was supposed to have wavered.  ‘I just forgot about it’ he said ‘ and ‘ my private life is none of your business ‘ he claimed when challenged by a press investigator.

‘ Lawyers at spanking party ‘

Beauty Emma Mills told reporters that scores of wealthy lawyers and solicitors flock to the posh wine bars for the raunchy parties.  They pay £150 a time she said  — ‘ caning and whipping is on the menu ‘  they like that she added.  Organiser Michael Dawes claimed that it was just harmless fun,  ‘ this is a legal area — we get a lot of barristers and solicitors coming here, but I cannot divulge any other information — ‘ there’s nothing sordid going on ‘ he concluded.

‘ Abbey National drops 7,000 Solicitors from conveyancing panel ‘

The Law Society has condemned the decision by Abbey National to remove 7,000 solicitors from it’s panel that handles property conveyance.  The decision by Abbey may spark a rise in legal fees because banks might insist on appointing other firms to handle the lender’s side of the paperwork. The decision means that house-buyers must either use an Abbey appointed solicitor or pay an extra set of solicitors to carry out the lender’s side of any house sale. Desmond Hudson of the Law Society said the move by Abbey was grave and without notification.

A LOOK BACK IN HISTORY – THE BRIBERY SCANDAL – 1877

‘ Lawyer forges telegram for the Benson Gang ‘

LAWYER FROGGATT was enlisted by The Benson Gang and hired by Kurr.  This gang were infamous swindlers who bought cops; the case being later dubbed as ‘ The Great Scotland Yard Bribery Scandal ‘  On behalf of Benson, his partner Kurr got the lawyer to forge a telegram to the Dutch Police, pretending it had come from Scotland Yard.  The telegram ordered the police to release Benson on the grounds that it had been a mistake.  This almost succeeded if had not have been for one Dutch cop who insisted they wait for confirmation before letting him walk free. 

The Lawyer found himself in the dock at the Old Bailey alongside Benson and Kurr, with four high ranking cops – Druscovich, Meiklejohn, Palmer and Clarke.

Lawyer Froggatt was imprisoned for his part, dismissed and later died in poverty.

LAWYER WILLIAM WRENTHOCK was convicted of robbery, served time and was eventually struck off after it was discovered that he had resumed practising again.

BARRISTER JONATHAN COLLINS, the only barrister, was ordered to pay costs when a case he had a personal stake in went wrong — the action was dismissed in the case of ‘ a scandal and an impertinence ‘ — two other lawyers in the action were fined £50 each.

‘ Drug Habit Lawyers get fix from cop ‘

SIX SOLICITORS and A COURT CLERK were supplied drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy by Police Constable Greg Simpson during his beat in the Met. The drugs were often in evidence lockers which he and several other cops helped themselves to. ‘ They were addicted to hard drugs and paid very well for them including favours.’ he said smiling to the reporter.  ‘ They didn’t want to know where I got the supply, but it was obvious they knew really.’ he added.  ‘ They’d give me a ring and wait somewhere until I had the stash.  One of them rang me as soon as a big drug bust case had just been wound up.  They seemed to know when the supply would be at its best.’

‘ Cruising Lawyer to be Investigated ‘

An un-named Lawyer was at the centre of a mystery in the Leeds area.  Allegations of cruising for children are to be investigated by a CID Officer following complaints by residents in the Hyde Park area.  Residents say the lawyer has been chatting up children over a period of several weeks.  Sadie, a pensioner who lives just off Cardigan Road told a reporter ‘ He comes in his black Porsche and waits in certain areas until the kids get close.  I have seen them get into the car on at least four occasions.  He’s even chatted them up while two beat cops went by — they pretend not to notice.  There’s quite a bit of poverty here, and some of the kids will sell themselves to make some money, and that bloke knows it.’ she said puffing at her cigarette.

‘ Convicted Solicitor stole from clients ‘

LAWYER JOHN CORT was being investigated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority into funds of £1.4 million of suspicious outgoings from the firm’s company business accounts. It was discovered that he had stolen more than £650,000 from nine client accounts in property sales and purchases at Cort & Co. Solicitors.  Cort was jailed for 29 years for hiring a hitman to kill his fellow solicitor partner for the insurance money of over £1 million.  Cort had three homes and earned over £110,000 a year at his Leicester Law Firm and was once a Conservative Councillor.

‘ Lawyer in fracas is being sued ‘

SOLICITOR BARRY TELFORD could not keep his temper when he was accessing a ‘hole in the wall bank machine’.  The London lawyer pushed Martin Green out of the way and said he was in a hurry, and that his need outweighed all other considerations — as he was in a hurry.  Mr.Green pointed out that the solicitor’s expensive BMW was on double lines, and that was the moment Telford blew his top and pushed Mr. Green to the ground.  After a further exchange another person who recognised the solicitor supplied Martin with information and now he intends to sue the arrogant solicitor for assault and damages.

‘ Five Solicitors suspended over dishonesty allegations ‘

FIVE LAWYERS INCLUDING SOLICITOR IMRAN HUSSAIN have been suspended by the Solicitors Regulation Authority who are investigating the firm WOLSTENHOLMES for breaches of the rules and dishonesty.  More than a hundred complaints forced the Authority to close down the law firm based in Cheshire.  The firm also have branches in London, Manchester and Birmingham.  The dishonesty charges involve hundreds of thousands of pounds of clients money.  The firm is primarily engaged in conveyance, and the complaints are about money paid to the company in this area.  One woman claimed that the company has £445,000 of her cash from a sale and half her own money which she is being prevented from accessing.

THE SOLICITORS REGULATION AUTHORITY would not give a figure of how many firms they were currently investigating, but it is thought to be around several hundred at least.

‘ Solicitors lie when filling out insurance proposal forms ‘

A LEADING INSURANCE BROKER claimed that no-one in the business should have to deal with a profession that lied on proposal forms, didn’t pay their premiums and did not honour obligations. He said this was what he experienced with solicitors over the past ten years.  This problem highlights growing concerns of insuring solicitors – as we mentioned in the previous Abbey story earlier.  It was said a backdrop of solicitors were generating more claims than any other professions.  Insurer Quinn in Ireland provides cover for almost 3,000 of the 11,000 law firms in England and Wales.  Now that the firm has gone into administration many small firms will be unable to obtain any cover – especially if Quinn leaves the market altogether.

‘ £1 MILLION MISSING – SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER ROSEANNE TUGBOBO of London, was immediately struck off and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 after the tribunal heard that she misappropriated money form client accounts, wrote misleading letters and acted dishonestly.  The tribunal took into account that nearly £1 million worth of money had disappeared before the matter came to their attention.

‘ LAWYER USED CLIENT CASH FOR HIMSELF ‘

SOLICITOR PETER J WATTS of London used client money for his own purposes, failed to keep proper accounts and made a catalogue of breaches.  Although the solicitor eventually found himself out of work for two years and unable to find employment, the tribunal could not excuse his actions and suspended him for one year. — He was ordered to pat £19,000 costs.

‘ SOLICITOR DELIBERATELY DECEIVED ‘

LAWYER JEFFREY H HANSON of Chelmsford, Essex, dishonestly backdated correspondence at the practice he worked for to conceal wasted costs, and gave clients misleading information the tribunal heard.  The board felt there was no other course but to have him struck off the roll and ordered him to pay costs of £12,000.

‘ OVERCHARGING LAWYER WAS DISHONEST ‘

SOLICITOR TREVOR A HOBDEN of Convey First, Solicitors, Thorpe Road, Norwich, was found guilty of dishonesty by the tribunal.  It was said that he not only overcharged on client accounts, but transferred monies out of accounts and dishonestly withdrew cash.  The board found that these serious allegations were proven and that he should be struck off the solicitors roll — he was ordered to pay costs of £14,250.

‘ CONDITIONAL SUSPENSION FOR SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER OLAYINKA LINDESAY of London was suspended indefinitely for a time until she could show she was mentally and physically fit enough to practice as a solicitor.  It was also conditional that she only work as an employee and not a partner, and that she must reveal her medical condition on gaining employment.  She was ordered to pay costs of £950.

‘ SOLICITOR IN CLIENT ACCOUNT MISUSE ‘

LAWYER JOHN E HENDRY of Potters Bar, Hertfordshire was suspended for two months and ordered to pay £20,000 costs by the tribunal.  He was banned from acting alone in a practice and told that a partnership or employee status would be approved.  Hendry had taken more money out of an account than it had, and not transferred a reimbursement to cover this.  Instead, he retained the money meant for this situation from the office account and provided clients with misleading costs information.

‘ SUSPENDED LAWYER PAYS £1,231 COSTS ‘

SOLICITOR GRANVILLE HODGE of London, was still under an indefinite suspension when he applied to be reinstated.  The board heard that he had a background of default on previous order arrangements, and they felt it was premature to grant him his application.  It was denied and he was ordered to pay £1,231 costs.

‘ SOLICITOR GUILTY OF EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ASSAULT ‘

LAWYER MOHAMMED SULEMAN of JMW Solicitors, Byrom Place, Springfields, Manchester, was convicted by magistrates of using excessive force during an assault.  Although he claimed he only used it in defence, the Deputy District Judge decided it was beyond that which had been necessary.  The Solicitors Tribunal agreed that the conviction had damaged the reputation of the profession, and upheld the magistrates sanctions as serious, and ordered him to pay costs of £1,362.

‘ COVER-UP LAWYER IS EXPOSED ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTINE SUI FUNG of London, was judged to have acted in a dishonest manner, withheld client monies, used it for her own personal use, and covered up her tracks at the time she was committing the offences.  She submitted to the tribunal she had been ill at the time, but offered no medical notes in support of this.  The tribunal decided that the solicitor should be struck off the roll and ordered her to pay costs of £10,000.

‘ SOLICITOR SUSPENDED FOR 2 YEARS ‘

LAWYER CLIVE OWEN LUCAS faced the SRA yet again over serious misconduct in conveyance matters.  The solicitor from Pinner, Middlesex, had appeared before tribunals in 2003 and October 2006 for serious breaches and this was his third appearance in 7 years.  The board said that anymore breaches would result in him being struck off the roll.  He was ordered to pay costs of £4,089.

‘ A MATTER OF JUDGEMENT BRINGS TROUBLE FOR LAWYERS ‘

SOLICITORS JOHN H POULTON and JAMES W TRENERRY of MULLIS & PEAKE in Romford, found themselves appearing before the solicitors tribunal that only described the matter before it as serious.  It did say that Trenerry made an error of judgement?  A fine of £1,000 was imposed and they had to pay costs of £17,000.

‘ ACT OF DISHONESTY NAILS SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER THOMAS W T WELLS of LEEDS was suspended for four months by a tribunal and ordered to pay costs of £7,500.  When a client decided to make a claim for compensation against his firm, WELLS misled him and the complaints board and acted dishonestly towards the client causing him a great deal of inconvenience.  The tribunal found the misconduct proved and the client received his compensation of £3,500.

‘ SOLICITOR BETRAYED BY FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOUR ‘

SOLICITOR HELEN CROCKETT of West Yorkshire, found herself facing a fine of £15,000 after being found guilty of acting in a manner that amounted to fraud in a conveyance deal it was said by the tribunal.  It was stated that she misled clients in aspects of costs and fees, and gave misleading information.

‘ LAWYER COOKS THE BOOKS ‘

SOLICITOR MARY Y P FERNANDO of Hemel Hempstead was given an indefinite period of suspension when it was discovered she had entered false information into the firm’s accounting books.  She had misused client monies and concealed secret profits to deceive the auditors.  She had also practised without a current certificate for quite a period.  MICHAEL F ANDREWS who was not employed as a solicitor was also found guilty of being a party to the matter as he made entries into the books and ledgers that were false.  They were ordered to pay costs of £32,000.

‘ MISUSE OF CLIENT ACCOUNTS — SOLICITOR FINED ‘

LAWYER MARGARET OPPONG of London was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £14,000.  Discrepancies and errors were noted in the account ledgers causing investigators to visit her practice five times!!  She had been warned by the SRA previously over conveyance transactions and irregularities, but she still permitted funds to be withdrawn from client accounts which led to a cash shortage, — and then continued overcharging clients generating a secret profit.

‘ MISCONDUCT LAWYER FINED ‘

SOLICITOR IAN T TROTTMAN of PICKWORTHS SOLICITORS, Hemel Hempstead, received a fine of £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £12,000.  The tribunal found TROTTMAN guilty of being in ‘ conflict of interests’ towards clients.  The matter arose out of a contract between the firm and a company called ‘ Justice Direct ‘ — which disabled the solicitor from advising his client — resulting in the client having to pay further fees and a percentage on any settlements in a claim.  Allegations against partners – GLENDA FERNEYHOUGH and BNELINDA WALKINSHAW were only dropped at the last minute when TROTTMAN took sole responsibility?

‘ SOLICITOR UNFIT TO PRACTICE ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY DAVID WILLIS of Nottingham was suspended for an indefinite period by the SRA and ordered to pay costs of £2,000.  The tribunal heard evidence that he had appeared before a previous board in 2008 for a catalogue of failings.  The new hearing for misconduct and abstention from duty alarmed the board and the SDT came to the conclusion that all these failures would normally mean he should be struck off the roll as he appeared unfit to run a practice.

‘ CONDUCT UNBEFITTING LAWYER IS SUSPENDED ‘

SOLICITOR RUTH ELAINE BUTLER of North London was suspended indefinitely by the SDT for misconduct.  There had been two allegations of this, and for one she had been fined £500 when she appeared before a tribunal in 2008.  In the light of this, the present tribunal suspended her and ordered her to pay costs of £1,660.

‘ ONE SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF — THE OTHER ENTERS A SETTLEMENT ‘

LAWYER OMER MOHAMMED GHANTI of MAIDS SOLICITORS in Park Place, Cardiff was struck off the solicitors roll for misuse of client accounts and overcharging.  It was stated that he used money from client accounts for his own benefit, and that he made improper transfers and acted in conflict with a professional client relationship.  The second solicitor – JASVIR SINGH SOHI had entered into a regulatory settlement with the SRA who withdrew all charges in his case.

‘ SOLICITOR FRONTS SCAM ‘

LAWYER CONN FARRELL a partner in the law firm FARRELL, MARTIN & NEE appeared before Southwark Crown Court on charges of conspiracy to defraud.  Farrell of Aldershot in Hampshire was said to be acting as a front man, a legal veneer to the gang – who aimed to sell the Ritz for £250million.  The property transaction – a sheer fantasy, was to go through Farrell’s firm who would act as lawyers for the conveyance.  The scam induced the two businessmen to part with a million as an advance. As the deal progressed, false promises were given and the delays began.  The £1millin was paid into an Irish Bank Account.  As the two men waited, no legal documents arrived or ever would said the prosecutor.

News Coming in:

Before we close this update, we have received info by way of Richard that he has received a communicate indicating fishy goings-on at a firm of solicitors GEORGE IDE, and we will give you more on that when we come back with an increased list of bent lawyers.

‘ Six Solicitors Offices are raided by police ‘

ELEVEN PEOPLE were arrested INCLUDING THREE SOLICITORS, as police swooped on offices in Burnley, Earby and Colne in Lancashire and another office in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on a drugs raid operation concerning money laundering.  The investigation centred on crime boss Matthew Glover of Burnley who was jailed by Manchester Crown Court.  Police seized computers and files at branch firms of the solicitors, arresting key staff and solicitors involved in the money laundering activities. 

‘Barrister is jailed by irate judge ‘

BARRISTER MICHAEL KELLY of Belfast had a verbal scuffle with JUDGE JEFFREY FOOTE QC in Dungannon Court, when he made disparaging comments about him.  The judge ordered that the barrister be kept in the cells for contempt of court.  The Judge ordered that the court transcript of the hearing should be sent to the Bar Council and referred to the Professional Conduct Committee.

What you have here is one barrister not liking another. and power becoming quite useful at the right moment to silence the other, Kelly should have known better and leaked what he had to the Press and Public.

‘ Lawyers at the pig trough grab loads of taxpayers cash ‘

Yet again we see another blatant example of Barristers and Solicitors up to their old tricks of grabbing taxpayers cash, and they get it so easily despite false assurances of disabled watchdogs. We are talking millions here, — THE LORD SAVILLE INQUIRY THAT TOOK 12 YEARS –at a cost of £195million, and most of that went on lawyers at a staggering £100million.  The matter under inquiry concerns ‘ The Bloody Sunday’ events when people were unlawfully killed by police and soldiers.  £34million was spent on computers for making all the reports.  Two of the Lawyers netted £4million each out of this.   First up is SIR CHRISTOPHER CLARKE QC who grabbed £4.48m and EDWIN GLASGOW QC at £4.06m, then – ALAN ROXBURGH at £2.97m, – CATHRYN McGAHEY getting £2.26m,  BILAL RAWAT junior counsel at £2.20m, — GERARD ELIAS QC at £1.79m, — ELLIS McDERMOTT, senior counsel at £1.4m, — SIR ALLAN GREEN at £1.52m — ARTHUR HARVEY QC at £1.32m and PETER MADDEN & CO Solicitors at £12.96million.  Not bad for these plunderers who have mansions and chateaus, second and third houses, estates and living the life of millionaires because they are, — at the public expense.  They are not pop stars or suchlike, they are people in a profession that allowed them to hike up fees and milk it for all it was worth.

‘ Two Solicitors arrested in Legal Aid Fraud Investigation ‘

HOWARD BARRINGTON CLERK and HUGH PRINGLE of the firm THE WESSEX CHAMBERS in Cosham near Portsmouth were arrested by the Serious Crimes Unit in February. The matter concerned false accounting in regard of legal aid fraud and perverting the course of justice.  Clerk was taken to Alton for questioning.  They have been questioned twice so far and enquiries are still ongoing.

‘ Bolitho Way enter the arena and throw suspicion on themselves ‘

BOLITHO WAY in Portsmouth are no strangers to this site, as we have had articles concerning them over conveyance irregularities and complaints about their misconduct.  It now seems they are representing Mr.Kerr who was hiding behind Terence Willey & Co in the case of ‘ one man’s man fight against the legal profession exposes subtle corruption’ which we featured earlier on this page.  This new information would not be unique if it wasn’t for the fact that Bolitho Way are in it.  They are not exactly clean or above board, and as yet, have not been brought to book — hopefully that will change in the near future.  Solicitor David Grimstead has the accusation of misappropriating £40,000 in a conveyance deal hanging over him with a second client saying much the same thing.  He has never apologised to Miss D.Rushin and greeted her rudely when she pushed for an explanation she could believe, which he did not offer, and this was over some cheating and capers concerning property and land.  So now we have the strange affair of Mr. Kerr, the person in the property deal that Mr.Baxman never agreed to being under the cloak of Bolitho Way?

‘ More ambulance chasing solicitors ‘

COMPENSATION, PAYOUTS, PROFITEERING and SOLICITORS go hand in hand as RUSSELL JONES & WALKER advertise their skills for no win no fee cases on the TV.  They boast that the client will get all their winnings, and it looks too good to be true — and it is.  One former Lawyer Neil Terence worked in one of these kind of firms and says that it is a ‘ smoke and mirrors ‘ ploy, and Lawyers don’t do anything for nothing or for the good of society, it’s pure money making and any lawyer who says different is lying to you’ he tells us.

‘ CONTEMPT LAWYER IS FINED ‘

SOLICITOR BUSHRA ANWAR of Blackburn, appeared before a Manchester judge who said her disgraceful behaviour amounted to a contempt of court.  He fined her £1,500 and ordered her to pay damages of £1,000 to Mr. Mohammed Afzal for defamation, after she accused him of social security fraud, which she leaked to the Press.

‘ WILL FORGERY SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER PETER CASEY WELLS who practised in Greenwich High Road, was struck off the roll when it was revealed that he had forged a will in order to make a substantial profit.  Wells had forged witness signatures and took a total of £46,000 from the client involved.  He claimed it was a miscalculation and error, but an investigation uncovered a three year systematic misuse of client funds.

‘ PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP REDFERN of Blackburn found himself in serious trouble when he acted for a client who was suing a company which he had interests in — he was a director of Hemmings.  As a consequence, he delayed matters without divulging this important fact to the client.  The company had run out of operating cash whilst being under a contract to carry out house repairs — Redfern continued to act for the client leading her down blind alleys so he could buy time and of course, keep it all under his control.  Similar cases were also prejudiced by Redfern, and the tribunal ordered him to be struck off .

‘ EMBEZZLEMENT SOLICITOR GOES TO JAIL ‘

LAWYER DAVID PIRIE of Edinburgh, embezzled more than £63,000 out of client accounts the court heard.  The Cowdenbeath solicitor had been misusing client funds for more than three years and most of it went on expensive cars.  It was stated that his practice was nearly always in debt, and loans failed to support it.  The court sentenced the solicitor to five and a half years in jail.

‘ THREE YEARS JAIL FOR THIEVING LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR MYLES McNULTY of Harpenden, who was a partner in the firm GIFFEN, COUCH & ARCHER of Luton, appeared before the Crown Court accused of stealing from client accounts.  £367,333 was involved in 64 separate client accounts which McNulty was said to have scammed from.  These comprised of awards in court claims and payouts.  In one £10,000 payout award he only gave the client £5,000 and pocketed the difference.  The court also heard that he covered his tracks in many various ways to conceal the thefts — falsifying documents and using a stolen court seal.  He was jailed for a total of three years and nine months.

‘ FINCHLEY SOLICITOR GETS SEVEN YEARS ‘

LAWYER LOUIS GLATT of Finchley, North London, helped his client, a crime boss named as Ellis Martin, by laundering £2.3million of his assets a court heard.  Glatt deceived prison staff by bringing into the prison – ‘ clerical staff ‘ who were in fact, associates of Ellis Martin who was jailed for running a bootleg tobacco and Alcohol business.  Glatt had taken care of ‘off-shore’ accounts so that ‘dirty’ money could be cleaned and then appear in legitimate accounts.  The solicitor was jailed for 7 years and struck off the roll.

‘ MILLIONAIRE LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID BENHAM from Southwark, London, had the envious luxury lifestyle with a yacht at the Royal Southampton Club in Hampshire, and an expensive car  — yet he stole more than £73,000 from his aunt’s account entrusted to him while she was in a nursing home.  The theft only surfaced when she was unable to pay her care bill.  Benham had been using the money he took to pay mooring fees and the cost of repairs to the yacht.  He appeared in court on 11 counts of theft and was jailed for just six months?

‘ SOLICITOR IN CLIENT ACCOUNT THEFT ‘

LAWYER NIGEL RICHARDSON of Park Road, Penarth, was struck off by a tribunal after regularities were noticed on a conveyance account.  It revealed there was a misuse of around £12,000.  The tribunal found that the solicitor had acted dishonestly and had made seven withdrawals from the client account for his own benefit.  He said he had planned to pay the money back.

‘ LAWYER ROBS CLIENT ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL ROWLANDS of Coventry, misappropriated clients accounts from several law firms he worked at over four years, a tribunal heard.  While he was at THOMAS SAUL & CO, he stole £2,565, and £19,000 at the others.  He wrote out cheques in his own name and covered it up by making photocopies and sticking them in the file documents so they would appear paid to the right person.  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off.

‘ STOLEN CHEQUES SOLICITOR IS JAILED ‘

LAWYER YASIM MOHAMMED who ran his own law firm in Grange Street, Oldham, was jailed for 18 months after police made a raid at Heathrow Airport — netting £1.2million worth of stolen travellers cheques.  The solicitor was arrested by an undercover cop who met him to buy £15,000 worth of the cheques.  He pleaded guilty a Manchester Crown Court to a charge of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

‘ LEGAL AID FRAUD LAWYER IS SENT TO PRISON ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN TATE of Newcastle, deliberately used the legal aid fund to his own advantage the court heard.  He submitted thousands of false green forms for bogus work claims.  The judge at Newcastle Crown Court heard that he had defrauded the system by at least £326,000.  Tate had his own practice – TATE & CO in Middlesborough, where he employed his own father as a clerk.  Tate pleaded guilty to deception and was sent to prison for 5 years.

‘ SOLICITOR STOLE FROM ELDERLY CLIENTS ‘

LAWYER ALASTAIR HALL of Perthshire just couldn’t keep his hands off the client accounts.  The High Court in Edinburgh heard that he’d embezzled around £500,000 mostly from aged clients to fund his rich lifestyle, his expensive taste in antiques and pictures, which were way beyond what he could really afford — so he merely stole from clients to afford it.  The court jailed him for 11 years.

‘ LAWYER’S FIDDLE CAUSES FIRM TROUBLE ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP PRESSLER of the firm HINDLE, SON & COOPER, SOLICITORS , Darwen dishonestly transfered client cash of £87,255 into his own account, while his law partner PAMELA HIGAH was seriously ill.  She was suspended from her position as a Deputy Circuit Judge while the investigations took place at the practice.  Pressler was found guilty of dishonesty, and was struck off by a tribunal.

‘ SOLICITOR STEALS £443,000 FROM CLIENT WILLS ‘

LAWYER SHIRLEY HARRISON of Luton, appeared before Luton Crown Court on charges of stealing money by deception and false accounting while she worked in litigation.  She targeted wills and diverted £443,919 over a five year period. — 35 estates complained when police investigated, and non of the money was ever recovered.  The court sentenced her to three years in prison.

‘ LAWYER STEALS FROM THE DEAD ‘

SOLICITOR JEREMY CAVE from Thirsk, who also had the position of Coroner for North Yorkshire, was said to have stolen £155,000 from the beneficiaries of dead clients.  He was convicted on 6 counts of theft by Teesside Crown Court.  The solicitors tribunal decided to have him struck off after he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

‘ SWINDLING SOLICITOR ROBS CLIENTS ‘

LAWYER ADRIAN JACKMAN of Northampton, appeared before Basilden Crown Court on theft charges after he helped himself to client cash — to the tune of £2million to sustain a luxury lifestyle.  Jackman admitted to five charges of misappropriation and was jailed for six years.  The court heard how he invented clients, made false wills, and used fake paperwork to obtain bank loans.  It was also noted that he was at one time – President of the Law Society? and a senior partner for ten years — a tribunal had him struck off.

‘ OVERCHARGING LAWYER IS THROWN OUT ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP HUXTABLE of Barnstable, Devon, and PITTS TUCKER Solicitors, was struck off the roll by a tribunal who heard that Huxtable charged six times the amount above the normal tariff.  It said he had been in practise for 32 years in Devon, and compensation claims against him were around £1.147million, despite new reports mentioning the figure of £100,000 for one particular amount being misappropriated.  The Law Society closed down his practice, and the tribunal ordered him to pay costs of £15,501.

‘ FRAUD SOLICITOR IS SUSPENDED ‘

LAWYER ANDREW HUDSON of Shropshire moved in excess of £100,000 from client accounts to his own firm account, a tribunal heard, which he used for his own benefit.  The incidents came to light when an investigation was carried out at his practice – HUDSON COWEN in Wellington, which was closed down shortly after.  The tribunal decided to suspend the solicitor for five years.

‘ FORGERY LAWYER GETS 7 YEARS ‘

SOLICITOR GORDON MANSON appeared before the High Court in Edinburgh on charges of fraud — to the amount of £3million.  The court heard that he forged documents and assumed identities to defraud banks.  Investigations into his fraudulent behaviour took three years.  He pleaded guilty to four frauds amounting to £820,000 even though there were 80 charges alleging £5million of fraud and other attempted frauds.  It was stated that he continued to deceive clients, companies and close friends up to his arrest.  He cheated them out of large sums of cash which remain unpaid.  Many details were kept from the court and public because he pleaded guilty rather than expose what solicitors get up to — he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

‘ SOLICITOR BLAMES CLERK FOR RUINING HIM ‘

LAWYER BARRY SHAW of London claimed that a Mr. Di Stefano acted as a clerk for him — making withdrawals from client accounts.  Furthermore it was revealed that Di Stefano appeared on TV as Dr. Shipman’s lawyer, despite being convicted of fraud in 1986.  Shaw was struck off for failing to supervise and had responsibility in regard of missing client money.  Shaw claimed he had lost his entire business due to John Di Stefano, and that the so called advocate had got away with theft.

‘ HOUSE SCAM LAWYER GOES TO JAIL ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID GATHERER of Durham, and sole practitioner of CARPENTERS Solicitors, was jailed for 18 months for systematically robbing an elderly widow in a property scam.  Gatherer did not act alone in the scam — his clerk to the practice, JOYCE WATT helped him fleece the trusting widow.  When suspicions were aroused Gatherer made files and documents disappear Newcastle Crown Court were told.  Even though the profits were in the region of several thousands, it appeared that Gatherer was a wealthy lawyer, and greed was the only motive possible in such circumstances.  The Clerk, Joyce Watt was jailed for 12 months, and the tribunal are considering having Gatherer struck off.

‘ DISHONEST SOLICITOR USES CLIENT CASH ‘

LAWYER DAVID HOLDER of Golders Green, North London, appeared before a tribunal charged with misappropriation of clients money.  It was heard that he helped himself to £200,000 to use as loans from a charity account and personal clients.  He claimed it was to pay money lenders because of interest payments of £9,000 a month.  The tribunal found him guilty and ordered him to be struck off the roll.

‘ A THIEVING LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR RUSSELL HISCOTT of Monmouth, South Wales, appeared before Cardiff Crown Court on charges of theft.  The court was told that he took money ‘ from the dead’ — in that he opened a secret building society account and channelled money from client estates to pay off debts.  Investigations revealed bank accounts with deposits of client account cash, unused and for himself.  He claimed it was to keep his firm HISCOTT & CO in the black.  Hiscott of Filton Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty and was jailed for 4 years — and struck off.

‘ FRAUD SOLICITOR IS DISGRACED ‘

LAWYER JOHN KENNEDY FORSTER of Stranrear, was convicted of theft from client accounts by the High Court in Glasgow.  The court heard how he defrauded clients by £700,000 systematically taking money from their accounts over a ten year period.  He forged  and falsified documents, and showed a disgraceful dishonesty the judge said.  He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, — a tribunal ordered him to be struck off.

‘ DECEPTION LAWYER CHARGED WITH FRAUD ‘

THE FSO CHARGED KEVIN STEEL and MICHAEL SHEPHERD of conspiracy to defraud a bank.  The lawyer of the solicitors firm MISHCON DE REYA who once represented Princess Diana in her divorce, is said to have entered into a conspiracy to defraud the bank out of £18.3million.  The two are said to have falsified documents to make it appear that a substantial amount of cash was deposited in a German bank.

‘ 1000 Solicitors a year are being investigated ‘

It has become apparent that around 100 solicitors a month are appearing before disciplinary tribunals on various charges, and some of that is of a criminal nature.  It ranges from book keeping offences to false accounting, fraud and forgery in some cases.  Their SRA report shows suspensions galore and many solicitors being struck off for dishonesty and misusing clients money for their own purposes.  Many are walking away from jail sentences and court appearances because they are appearing at tribunals who decide their fate.  Some are fined and pay costs or receive admonishment such as warnings.  What most of the report tells us is that solicitors regularly misappropriate client accounts and use the cash for their own ends, tell lies and cover up the truth.

‘ Solicitors Policy is to deceive the client ‘

INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR JOHN REID told our Richard Barrymore of a group of solicitors at CASTLES, that in order to boost profits and cover any losses on the firm ledgers, they intentionally deceived clients into believing any old lie so long as it sounded good.  Reid had been on more than one case with two or three of the solicitors at a meeting where it was suggested that the compensation payout should appear lower to the client.  Reid himself was offered a cut but refused to be a party to it and said it was up to them what they paid the client.  ‘ I just sent the cheque after the initial figure agreed and they did the rest with their accounts as to who took the better slice.  The firm even boasted that it never cost the client a penny more than it had to, but secretly the solicitors were making changes to the client’s payout and altering the accounts to show that all was on the up.

WE PAUSE HERE TO HAVE A BENT LAWYER LIST (like the Bent Cops List) it saves space.

SOLICITOR BILL HOMEWOOD — False Accounting and Deceit.

SOLICITOR KENNETH MORGAN — Assault and Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR ALAN RHODES — Mortgage Scam.

BARRISTER JOHN CAWDRON —  Drunk and Disorderly and Perjury.

SOLICITOR TIM BROOKS — Dishonesty.

SOLICITOR PATRICIA STANBURY — Property fraud.

SOLICITOR GEORGE WOODAGE — Using Client funds.

SOLICITOR MARY VICKERS  — Supplying Drugs.

SOLICITOR DAVID JONES — False Accounting and Dishonesty.

BARRISTER LUKE PENNANT  — Assault and Battery.

SOLICITOR WILLIAM COXON  —-Mortgage Scam.

SOLICITOR RUPERT AINSLEY-SMITH  — Theft of client money.

SOLICITOR PETER HAYCOCK  —  Forgery and Dishonesty.

SOLICITOR ALEC SOUTHERTON  —  Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR RICHARD SPARKS  — Charity Scam and Theft.

SOLICITOR DUNCAN LEA  — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR MARTIN ELLIS  — Misappropriation of client accounts.

SOLICITOR PHILIP WHITE  —  Property Scam.

SOLICITOR ROGER FARRANT  — Theft.

SOLICITOR KEVIN BAILEY  —  Benefit fiddle.

SOLICITOR ETHAN GREY  — Dishonesty.

SOLICITOR FIONA McDONALD   —  Mortgage Scam and False Accounting.

SOLICITOR DOROTHY LUNN  — Shares Scam.

BARRISTER PAUL CADWELL  — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR LUCY PRIOR  —  False Accounting.

SOLICITOR STUART NOLAN  —  Deceit and Forgery.

SOLICITOR JAYNE NORBURY  — Conspiracy to rob clients.

SOLICITOR  EILEEN STOTT  — Conspiracy to rob clients.

SOLICITOR RALPH COTTER  — Embezzlement.

SOLICITOR DANIEL MACKENZIE  — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR RYAN SMITH  — Insider Dealing.

SOLICITOR JAMES DOWD  — Property Scam.

SOLICITOR GRAHAM YOUNG  — Legal Aid Scam and Fraud.

SOLICITOR DEREK YOUNG  — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR BRIAN FLOWERS  —  False Accounting.

BARRISTER COLIN BURRAGE  — Deception and Fraud.

SOLICITOR KEITH ARMSTRONG  — Property Scam.

SOLICITOR JOHN COUCH  — Stealing Client Money.

SOLICITOR JACK DAVIES  —  Dishonesty and Attempting to pervert the course of justice.

SOLICITOR STEPHEN FINCH  — Conspiracy to defraud.

SOLICITOR GARY HINKS  — Share Scam and misuse of client cash.

SOLICITOR DONALD MAY  — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR JOHN MASSEY  —  Forging Identity Documents.

This list was compiled and researched by our Investigator Richard Barrymore from his files.

‘Two Solicitors arrested in Cash Probe ‘

Lancashire Police took into custody two solicitors, one accountant and two other people in connection with a money laundering operation.  They were all charged with deception and await a trial date.

‘ Solicitors Practice is Shut Down ‘

There was a surrounding secrecy concerning the shut down of GIDLEY & CO, Stainland Road, Greetland, after his files were removed on the orders of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors.  300 files were seized from the firm and passed onto GORDON’S SOLICITORS in Bradford.  The Law Society would not offer a reason.

‘ CROOKED SOLICITOR IN MORTGAGE FRAUD ‘

LAWYER COLIN BARR of Birmingham, was involved in a series of ‘ fortunate’ deals because he did not disclose vital details to the building societies on behalf of one client.  The tribunal heard of his fraudulent mortgage deals, unusual transactions and suspicious house deals netting £24,000 in a day, which was unknown to the lenders and withheld from them.  The tribunal ordered that Barr should be struck off.

‘ LAW SOCIETY EX-PRESIDENT LAWYER IS CHARGED ‘

SOLICITOR BASIL DEARING of Grindleton, Lancashire, and SFN SOLICITORS Burnley, was charged with money laundering and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice — after being arrested by a National Crimes Squad.  It is stated that he held the position of President of the area Law Society.  The charges relate to investigations into a crime syndicate and off-shore accounts.

‘ KEIGHLEY SOLICITOR ARRESTED IN POLICE STING ‘

LAWYER JOHN BROUGHTON  of Colne in Lancashire was arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice and money laundering at the Keighley law firm in Devonshire Rd — JOHN BROUGHTONS SOLICITORS — He will appear with others at Preston Magistrates Court.

‘ LIVERPOOL LAWYER IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE ‘

SOLICITOR NOEL TULLY of Wood St, Liverpool, was arrested by police investigating a money laundering racket concerning a crime boss operating in the North of England.  The lawyer was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, and will appear with others at Preston Magistrates Court.

‘ INEPT SOLICITORS ARE FINED ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL ELLENBOGEN and ANDREW JAMES were fined a total of £8,000 by a tribunal who heard that the two could not account properly, despite being aware of the regulations.  Investigations at HOWARD JACKSON & CO of Liverpool were satisfied that the accounts seen — were in a complete mess.

‘ SOLICITOR WHO MISLED CLIENTS IS FINED ‘

LAWYER DAVID SIMS of Cheshire was fined £3,000 by a tribunal after it was heard that he broke strict legal rules in probate cases, and misled clients into thinking they were being taken care of.  The solicitor failed to locate assets and apply for probate in order to complete and wind up estates.  It is said that in one particular case it took him four years to complete matters?

‘ ACCOUNT ROBBING LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY FARRANT of Yorkshire, and a partner in the firm PINKNEY GRUNNELS in Scarborough, was sent to jail for two and a half years by a Yorkshire Court.  The court heard how he took money from client accounts — around £114,000  — it was also said that he did this kind of thing over a period of nine years showing a complete dishonesty and a betrayal of client trust.

‘ SOLICITOR IS SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY ‘

LAWYER GEOFFREY STUART LAWTON of Heckmondwike in Yorkshire, faced allegations including the misuse and misappropriation of client accounts along with breaching transfer rules and failing to have the proper insurance cover.  The solicitor of G.S.LAWTON & CO, Headingly, Leeds, was suspended indefinitely by the tribunal, and was ordered to pay costs.

‘ LAWYER FACED 11 ALLEGATIONS ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN ROSS-JONES of Bangor in North Wales, appeared before a tribunal charged with misusing client money and improper accounting.  The allegations of dishonesty were put forward when it was known that he and his wife had walked free from a court two years earlier for unlawfully selling Viagra. The tribunal ordered him to be struck off the roll.

‘ THEFT AND FORGERY SOLICITOR IN COURT ‘

LAWYER ANDREW NICHOLLS of the firm BAKIN NICHOLLS of Shifnal, appeared before the Telford Magistrates on charges of theft and forgery after it was discovered that he made false entries in the ledgers and forged a colleague’s signature to steal client cash.  He faced four counts and was sentenced to a three month suspended jail sentence.  A tribunal reviewing the case said that it showed clear dishonesty by the solicitor and he was ordered to be struck off and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYER DENIES STEALING ‘

SOLICITOR DUNCAN WALL of the firm, HARDING, SWINBURNE, JACKSON & CO. of Sunderland, denied allegations of stealing client money when he appeared before a tribunal accused of making 167 improper transactions.  It was said that he transferred money from the office account into his own personal account over a period of 18 months.  Wall claimed it was all due to a computer failure, — however, the tribunal found him guilty of dishonesty and ordered him to be struck off and pay costs of £10,500.

‘ DRINK ADDICTED SOLICITOR GOES TO JAIL ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL LEE from Solihull, Birmingham, appeared before Birmingham Crown Court for taking £400,000 of client money.  Lee admitted to theft and forgery charges, and was given a jail sentence of four and a half years.  It was said he took the money over a 2 year period  — the judge remarked that it was down to foolishness, incompetence and being addicted to drink.

‘ SUCCESSFUL WOMAN LAWYER TURNS TO THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR DONNA-MARIE FIELD came to the profession with honours and was heading for the top and big pay  —- she then crashed spectacularly amid a drug habit, parties and an extravagant lifestyle that eventually led to stealing –false expenses etc, the court heard.  She pleaded guilty in court to three charges of obtaining property by deception and one charge of false accounting.  She stole over £80,000 it is said.  The report said it was awaiting sentencing.

‘ SHAM PARTNERSHIP SOLICITOR IS CAUGHT ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL TRACEY of Rossendale, was struck off the solicitors roll after a tribunal heard that his behaviour was improper and unacceptable.  He was one of three lawyers who set up a ‘sham partnership’ to hoodwink and deceive the Law Society.  They also found against SOLICITOR AURANGZEB IGBAL and SOLICITOR SARDAR QADRI who were also struck off for their part in the deception.  They were ordered to pay costs of £7,483 each.

‘ TRIBUNAL SUSPENDS LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER BRANSTON of Barnes, South West London, was reprimanded by the tribunal for serious accounting flaws — breaching the rules, cash shortage on a client account, and failing to have proper insurance cover in place.  They recommended that he should be suspended for an indefinite period, and ordered him to pay £6,634 costs.

‘ SOLICITOR IN ADVANCE FEE FRAUD IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER IAN W. DODD of Portslade, near Brighton, was struck off for unbefitting conduct  — in that he steered clients to money making schemes that were obviously ‘ advance fee fraud ‘ so as to take an unfair advantage.  The tribunal considered that he acted in a ‘ conflict of interests’ and had been guilty of dishonest.  He was ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

‘ FRAUD LAWYER IS JAILED FOR 6 MONTHS ‘

SOLICITOR NIGEL HEATH of Milton Keynes, received six months in jail for conspiracy with others to corruptly bribe a U.S.Attorney and others to lift an order freezing bank accounts containing investors cash obtained through the Ponzi Fraud.  Heath worked in London at the firm of GEORGIOU NICHOLAS and from his home in Milton Keynes — he was due to stand trial in Birmingham Crown Court.  Two co-conspirators — SHINDER SINGH GANGAR and ALAN WHITE were also convicted, and Heath was struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ £50 MILLION FRAUD SOLICITORS IN COURT ‘

LAWYERS MARK KNIGHTS (CHESHIRE) and KAMRAN MALIK of Birmingham appeared at Southwark Crown Court in connection with a fifty million pound commercial mortgage fraud.  It is said they obtained money by deception — and have defrauded the Cheshire Building Society where they obtained loans based on fraudulous valuations, forged leases and dishonesty.

‘ LAWYER IN LEGAL AID SCAM ‘

SOLICITOR ALAN PRITCHARD who worked at the firm of WALTON & CO. in Birmingham, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Legal Aid Board of more than £2million, was jailed for five years.  Also indicted was consultant BRIAN OCONNOR and PETER LANE.  The three targeted the poorer section of society in order to generate work and profit by it.  They issued green forms by the score, most of them fake, and put names on them and sent the claims in for payment.  They got so successful, that the lawyer took holidays and signed forms sent by his cohorts at the resort and he would mail them back for sending to the legal aid board.  But when the rules changed they were found out.

‘ 2 YEARS JAIL FOR BOURNEMOUTH SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER ALAN WHITTINGHAM of Bournemouth appeared before Winchester Crown Court on 21 charges of false accounting over a ten year period  — losing the solicitors compensation fund of £2million.  Whittingham was a partner in the firm OSCAR H WHITTINGHAM & SONS, Bournemouth, Dorset.  In court they said that he preyed on the accounts of unsuspecting elderly clients in order to gain from his thefts.  An investigation found a discrepancy of £2million in client accounts, and called in the police.  He was charged with 21 counts of theft and struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ Tribunal averts jail sentences on dirty lawyers ‘

Appearing before a tribunal is a better option for lawyers who have stolen and lied to clients, it’s less likely to lead to jail or a case in a court.  In fact it is quite a soft option in reality, they are either struck off, fined or suspended — and some of them actually still carry on practising after dipping their hands into client accounts as you will have already seen all too clear on this page.  Most of the court cases we have shown in regard to thieving solicitors usually end up in prison.  Some of course are never found out, because most solicitors have the skill and knowledge to get out of a mess, and this is usually by deception.  It certainly isn’t good to trust a solicitor with your money or let them do your house conveyance, and former solicitor Michael Joseph bears this out.  As for evidence and conducting a trial?  that could prove very costly especially if you are innocent. A research document showed that 54 solicitors were appearing before a tribunal for the second time, and 39 of them had been fined previously.  ‘ Criminal offences of dishonesty were amazingly treated a summary one penalty offence — not unlike a parking ticket ‘ by the tribunal.  One LAWYER TERRY MITCHELL continued practising despite going to jail for fraud.  Slough SOLICITOR PATRICK MACAVOY was fined £1,500 after he’d been discovered indulging in child pornography, and allowed to continue in practice?  An estimated 40,000 complaints arrive before the tribunal concerning lawyers who steal, misbehave and deceive the public, but only a fraction see the light of day or get dealt with in a manner that could be termed as ‘ justice’

‘ The great No win, no fee Scam ‘

MARTIN TRAVERS tells us that the Government could save vast amounts of taxpayers money if they scrapped ‘No win, no fee’ especially with the lawyers who work in local councils.  He says they waste a fortune by pursuing often silly compensation claims on behalf of their clients — the council. 

He says to avoid costly legal expenses, councils could settle out of court however unjustified a claim may be.

 Sadly, Martin forgets that they do not know the concept of reasonable or common sense.

 ‘ Solicitor provides prisoner with drugs ‘

£1,600 worth of heroin and diazepam was smuggled into Barlinnie Prison by a lawyer it is reported, and the lawyer appeared before the High Court in Paisley.  The court heard in evidence there had been a ‘tip-off’ before the solicitor arrived at the prison to see the client.  Normally, the 32 year old lawyer would be allowed to enter the prison with minimal formalities, but on this occasion the solicitor was detained and thoroughly searched by staff.  A packet containing 14 grams of class A heroin and 158 diazepam tablets were recovered.  The solicitor admitted to trying to smuggle in drugs and was found guilty by the court who deferred sentencing to a later dat

‘ SOLICITOR DEFRAUDS HEALTH SERVICE ‘

LAWYER GEORGE BRANGAM of Brangam, Bagnall & Co. made the best for himself out of medical negligence cases and defrauding the NHS out of £270,000 over an eight year period. It is said he made out invoices for more than the settlements by as much as £2,000 at a time — and in one claim £75,000 in just one case — pocketting these sums for himself.  In July 2006 The Causeway Trust informed the NHS about irregularities and an investigation began.  Later his practice was shut down by the Law Society.

‘ PEEPING TOM LAWYER WITH VIDEO CAMERA ‘

SOLICITOR PETER FITZPATRICK appeared before a Stirling Sheriff Court after it was discovered he was perversely videoing women at the law firm toilets.  The camera was hidden in a box which secretly filmed the women staff.  He pleaded guilty to filming the women in the private toilet area at Muirhead Buchanan in Stirling, who have subsequently dismissed him.  The solicitor of 27 years experience is awaiting sentence.

‘ THREE SOLICITORS, ONE FIRM — ALL THIEVES ‘

LAWYERS IMRAN KARIM, SAIRA KARIM and SHAMIM KARIM, a family law firm — KARIM & CO in Clerkenwell Road, London, stole more than £2million from client accounts to live a luxurious lifestyle.  Senior Partner IMRAN KARIM had five cars including a Ferrari and North London pad — all paid for by clients.  They had a house in New York USA, and holidays in the Camen Islands and Florida, spending client money as they wished.  All the money came mainly from property deals on behalf of clients.  They enjoyed life in a large house in Esher, Surrey, and bought anything they desired.  It was revealed that Shamim Karim had been struck off the roll previously, but on appeal had this reduced to a suspension.  The tribunal said this was one of the worst cases of blatant dishonesty they had seen.  All three were struck off the solicitors roll?

‘ FORGERY LAWYER STEALS CLIENT MONEY ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP LOWE of Low Bank, Burnley, appeared before Bradford Crown Court charged with fraud, dishonesty and forgery — in that he forged a colleague’s signature.  A raid by the inspectors at his firm found that he had been using client money as his own, and tried to initiate a cover-up — wrongly billing clients to balance the ledgers.  A deficit of £35,332 was discovered on the accounts, Lowe whose firm was in Main St, Cross Hills, Keighley, was fined £515 by the court (but no conviction on the fraud as it was not proved), but the tribunal found fraud proved and decided he was guilty of dishonesty and ordered him to be struck off.

‘ MURDER SOLICITOR INHERITS VICTIM’S CASH ‘

LAWYER CHRISTOPHER LUMSDEN was jailed for five years after killing his wife, the jury were urged to bring in a manslaughter verdict having been told he mentally snapped at the time he killed her.  He stabbed her with a knife at their £1.4million mansion after she said she was leaving him.  The solicitor, a partner in the law firm Pincent Masons was released after just 18 months, and now stands to inherit her £1million will — made in favour of him 5 years before her death.  Relatives are said to be disgusted.

‘ LAWYER STEALS FROM DISABLED CLIENT ‘

SOLICITOR THOMAS McGOLDRICK of Cheshire, appeared before Manchester Crown Court, where it was heard that he stole almost a £million from disabled client Keith Anderson who had been awarded £1.8million after being badly injured in a crash.  The solicitor was found guilty on 59 counts of fraud.  The court heard how he forged a letter ‘ gifting him’ half the money said to be from Mr. Anderson.  Despite his practice being in debt to the tune of £1.4million when he took on client Mr. Anderson, the lawyer spent the money lavishly on cars and holidays.  He was convicted of embezzling funds and sent to prison for ten years.

‘ SOLICITOR PLUNDERS CLIENT WILLS ‘

LAWYER CHRISTOPHER DUDZINSKI of the firm Dudzinski & Partners in Butts Court, Leeds, manipulated client accounts, – ‘late clients’ – deceased — and helped himself to cash from their estates.  Investigators uncovered a deficit of £25,975 in the firm’s account books in 2006, — it also came out that he took £2,350 from the estate of a dead man — after the will had been completed.  When questioned about this and other items, he said he deserved more for the work he did!  He admitted 9 allegations of wrongly using client money, and deliberately misleading clients.  He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £21,000.

‘ 7 YEARS JAIL FOR CROOKED LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL WRIGHT of Teignmouth, Devon, looted more than £900,000 from wills that were meant to benefit charities such as the RSPCA, a Cancer fund and Church.  The lawyer appeared before Exeter Crown Court on charges of theft.  Wright, of the firm HAROLD MITCHELMORE of Newton Abbot, used false identities, bought a Jensen Interceptor and stocked up on vintage wine.  He fabricated false instructions, fake receipts, fake attendance notes and false stories over a period of 28 years.  Outwardly he looked and lived like a moderately successful solicitor who handled a probate division incredibly well — too well, according to the judge who sentenced him to seven years in prison.

‘ CRIMINAL ASSETS SEIZED FROM SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER JOHN SZEPIETOWSKI of Weybridge in Surrey, had £5.3million of criminal assets seized as part of a Surrey Police Investigation into money-laundering.  It was said that the solicitor and his wife benefited from a Phoenix Fraud Scam, fraudulent mortgage claims and rental income through off-shore accounts.  It was also said they financially benefited from their involvement in the ‘ publishing of adult magazines’ and the laundering of money, being the proceeds of drug trafficking from Turkey through an off-shore account.

‘ LAWYER BLAMES HUSBAND FOR HER STEALING ‘

SOLICITOR LORRAINE MIERS a Huddersfield University lecturer in Law, was struck off the solicitor’s roll for stealing £100,000 from client accounts.  She blamed this on her cheating husband who according to her testimony — left her in serious financial difficulties.  She was a partner in the Leeds Law firm LEE PRIESTLEY on East Parade.  It was discovered she had withdrawn money from probate files from two clients for her own use.  Miers who had practised law for 24 years admitted taking £72,450 from one client using 32 of the firm’s cheques — and three counts of dishonesty.

‘ MULTI-MILLION MORTGAGE SCAM SOLICITOR ABSCONDS’

LAWYER THOMAS BYRNE vanished amid a massive inquiry and investigation into a multi-million pound mortgage scam fraud.  His Partner SOLICITOR MICHAEL LYNN appeared in the Dublin High Court to answer charges.  Byrne failed to appear.  The case concerned multiple mortgages and more than £26million.  Byrne, a high flying solicitor went on the run having run up debts of over £50million.  Over 100 clients now don’t know if they own their own properties having been informed that Byrne and Lynn had their names registered on the deeds — so that they could re-mortgage and pocket thousands at their will.

‘ LEGAL AID SCAM LAWYER IS FINED £10,000 ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL KIRK of South Lanarkshire, double charged and claimed false expenses as he billed the Legal Aid Board.  Kirk is said to have been one of the five highest earners in the league of one man firms in Glasgow in 2002.  Over the years he grew rich — and in 2003 alone, he was paid £311,000 by the Legal Aid Board. The tribunal fined him £10,000.

‘ ABUSE CASE SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER JANE LOVEDAY who left 50 clients having to pay thousands in costs because of a failed action in an abuse case against Dr. Ledward, was struck off the roll by a tribunal.  They said she left clients who’d she assured they would not face any legal bills having now to pay up to £10,000 each after the Legal Aid withdrew its support and funding. 

‘ MORTGAGE FRAUD LAWYER SENT TO PRISON ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT STOBER was jailed for 6 months by Winchester Crown Court for his part in a mortgage scam.  The solicitor was in league with businessmen Philip Carter and Douglas Catfell who were also found guilty for the same offence.  They were all found guilty of defrauding banks and building societies.  Stober was also indicted on false accounting, deception and conspiracy to defraud.

‘ FAMILY LAW SOLICITOR ADMITS THEFT ‘

LAWYER ANDREW DUTTON appeared before Worcester Crown Court charged with theft and criminal damage.  The judge gave him a 2 year conditional discharge and bound him over in the sum of £250 with £100 costs.  The solicitor admitted taking fittings from a house and damaging it after losing £250,000 in a business and property deal that went wrong.  Another charge of assault was not proceeded with in view of the circumstances surrounding the events.

‘ LAWYER STOLE TO COMPENSATE FAILURES ‘

SOLICITOR JEREMY LANGWORTHY stole from other client accounts to compensate others he had failed with the court heard.  He admitted stealing £100,000 at Merthyr Crown Court by ‘ robbing peter to pay paul’ .  The lawyer pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft and one of forgery.  Langworthy could not admit to clients that he had failed to negotiate adequate payouts in a series of compensation claims, so he dipped into other accounts to make good with the failures.  He was jailed for 18 months.

‘ WILL DECEPTION SOLICITOR GETS NOTHING ‘

LAWYER MORLEY FRANKS, a Borehamwood solicitor with MEASURES, FRANKS & CO. embarked on an emergency scheme to have a 1992 will which excluded him from benefiting from his mother’s estate in favour of her grandson by claiming a 1994 will he drew up was legitimate and overrides the previous will.  The 1994 will left everything to him and he got her to sign it in a bamboozling legal smokescreen as she was in her 90’s by this time.  But the court decided this was not entirely above board and that ‘ Franks was not a witness on whose evidence I can rely on, and neither was it truthful’ said the judge.  Family witnesses said Jennie Franks the deceased, did not trust her son, especially after he began messing around with five of her building society accounts which he closed without authority and transferred the funds into his own account.

‘ FSA Takes on Law Firm Fox Hayes ‘

FOX HAYES the Leeds Law Firm and licensed by the FSA are said to have teamed up with ‘ a boiler room scam’  inadvertently if you believe?  Throughout 2003 to 2004 the firm was warned of its risky involvement with tricksters posing as stockbrokers in Spain.  Lawyers Fox Hayes continually ignored this and opted for making excuses for themselves and the crooked ensemble — it turned out that corruption was in the deal, and Solicitor ROBERT MANNING – the boss at Fox Hayes was pocketing huge sums from the international gang.  As a result, the FSA fined Fox Hayes £150,000 — however on appeal this was cut to £70,000, — however and incredibly, before the hearing ended it was revealed that Manning had secretly accepted £500,000 from the ‘ boiler room deals’  The FSA requested the tribunal to rethink its determination regarding the appeal — and the fine was re-assessed to £146,000.  However, in another move, the FSA applied to the tribunal to reconsider the verdict on FOX HAYES.  It is estimated that the Leeds Lawyers raked in £9million — pocketing one per cent of this as their fee while the rest of it vanished abroad.  Apparently, it is the first time the FSA have returned to a tribunal verdict and requested a harsher penalty.  Obviously we have some dirty dealings here, and much of it will never be reported, especially as it concerns lawyers.

‘ Remember the lying Lawyer of 1986?’

LEON BRITTAN was the name, a minister in Thatcher’s Government.  He leaked a letter criticising Heseltine from the Solicitor General, and claimed in the House of Commons that he’d never leaked it or knew about it.  In a turnaround later he finally admitted sending the letter to be leaked and subsequently resigned over the Westland Affair.  Three years later the ‘lies’ lawyer was about to be accused of fraud when after taking on the role of vice president in the European Commission, he along with others resigned over the fraud allegations.  This was the second time Leon Brittan resigned.

‘ No Win, No fee Lawyers in swoop to feed ‘

A.Still of Ilford, Essex suffered an accident as a result of the uneven pavement, and just thought she’d let the council know what had happened.  She wrote a letter telling the Ilford Council how angry she was, but several days later from out of nowhere and uninvited came the solicitors?  A law firm rang her and offered to represent her in a claim against the council.  She never gave the lawyers her number, so the council must have.  She thought data protection would be there not to disclose her number, but someone at the council was in league with this firm of ambulance chasing solicitors.  She of course turned them down and told them they had a cheek in ringing her as she was not interested.  Council worker and solicitor? both regarded as on opposite sides in a claim for an accident payout, one wonders what collaboration exists between them and just how much is the taxpayer being taken for a ride. 

‘ Lawyers in no win no fees still cashing in says judge ‘

Lord Justice Jackson hit out at big companies and their lawyers milking millions out of the taxpayer.  He said solicitors for these unions and Industry moguls were profiting from compensation claims on a huge scale despite talk of curbing their activity.  According to the Appeal Court no-win-no-fee rules had enriched lawyers and sadly allowed celebrities and corporations to sue in the courts for free.  He stated that compensation claims through these litigation solicitors are imposing vastly-inflated legal bills.  He remarked their was ‘ a kaleidoscope of conflicting interests ‘

‘ SOLICITOR IN CLIENT MONEY MISUSE IS BANKRUPT ‘

LAWYER STEPHEN MORECROFT of Shrewsbury, was declared bankrupt at the Shrewsbury County Court a tribunal heard.  This was on top of allegations of taking client money, breaches in accounting and failing to act properly for the client.  The solicitor of MORECROFT & CO. Barker St, Shrewsbury, was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £22,885.  It was stated that he had a client’s cheque of £10,897 placed as a deposit on a property and when investigating the accounts it was revealed that the firm had £1,194.

‘ LAWYER STEALS £100,000 FROM CLIENTS ‘

SOLICITOR WINSTON J HELD of Golders Green, North London. appeared before a tribunal. He claimed the client gave him permission to handle the £100,000, but this was denied and contested by the son-in-law who appeared for the client.  The tribunal took the view that the solicitor misappropriated the money for his own benefit which amounted to dishonesty. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £15,354.

‘ SOLICITOR JAILED FOR PERVERTING THE COURSE OF JUSTICE ‘

LAWYER MAYA DEVANI was jailed for one year after she appeared before the Old Bailey for perverting the course of justice.  She was said to have helped a gunman (who was found guilty of two charges of attempted murder) by smuggling out a le’tter from the prisoner to help him in regard of silencing a witness at his trial.

‘ JAILED LAWYER AND THE £300,000 SCAM ‘

SOLICITOR MARK KERRUISH of Stapely, appeared before Manchester Crown Court when a £300,000 scam was uncovered, and the solicitor was charged with theft of client funds.  Kerruish was with the firm FIELDING & CO. Cheadle, Hulme, — a senior partner.  It was discovered he was continually over-billing clients – some of them dead.  He was jailed for two years and struck off the solicitors roll by a tribunal.

‘  SUSPENDED SOLICITOR LANDS IN TROUBLE ‘

LAWYER ADRIAN COLE of River Dale, Carlton Colville, was told to take himself off the solicitors roll voluntarily, and was given four weeks to do so by a tribunal, after it was discovered he was in practice without a current certificate — due to him already being suspended.  They said his notepaper currently being circulated indicating he was still in practice was a deception even if Cole did not see it that way or agree.  He was suspended for misappropriating client funds and using them for himself when he ran his firm in Ashford, Kent.  He was ordered to pay costs of £1,200.

‘ MONEY LAUNDERING LAWYER JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR BRIAN DOUGLAS was sent to prison for 3 months by Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to converting or transferring money being the proceeds of criminal conduct. It is stated that he allowed £66,000 to go through his client account while carrying out a conveyance for a convicted criminal.  The original charge of ‘ conspiring to conceal the proceeds of a crime’ was toned down to the lesser charge.  It is said that Douglas has now sold his law firm and is banned from setting up a sole practice in the future.

‘ JAILED THEFT SOLICITOR LOSES ASSETS ‘

LAWYER IAN MACFARLANE of Winterbourne Kingston who was serving a three year and nine month jail sentence for theft, appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court asking the court to take into consideration a further 137 similar charges.  The court heard how Macfarlane created a false identity-client in ordered to benefit from £1.5million after opening a bogus account.  The theft was to maintain a wealthy lifestyle, and he was determined to hang onto it.  The court stripped him of assets in the region of £426,414.  The judge said he would have to serve another 3 years if he didn’t pay up — Macfarlane was struck off and ordered to pay £50,000 defence costs.

‘ SOLICITOR STOLE TO FUND SECOND BUSINESS ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD DAWSON was jailed for two and a half years by Cardiff Crown Court, after being found guilty of stealing £140,000 from a number of client accounts in order to set up a second business.  He claimed he would have put the money back once the new business took off — despite the first firm running into financial difficulties and problems.

‘ LAWYER IN MORTGAGE FRAUD STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR LINDA COLLIER of Flitwick in Bedfordshire, was said to have dishonestly misappropriated £350,000 of client cash which was passed onto a crooked property developer.  Collier of the Luton firm CHURCHMAN THACKER, handed over £141,850 to a businessman which was entrusted to her by a mortgage company.  The money was never returned, but despite this, the businessman managed to persuade Collier to hand over another £209,000.  In desperation she plundered other client accounts to make up the cash deficit.  The tribunal ordered her to be struck off and pay costs of £13,850.

‘ RED DIESEL SCAM SOLICITOR IN COURT ‘

LAWYER BRIAN DOUGAN appeared before a Liverpool court in connection with a ‘red diesel scam’ using his firm’s accounts to launder money.  It was said he was about to purchase eleven properties on the proceeds of the crime for his client — who was convicted of fuel fraud the previous year.  Dougan admitted to handing £66,500 in a single week for his criminal client.  The solicitor was remanded on bail and will be sentenced later.

‘ UNFIT SOLICITOR GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS McCORMICK of Newton Stewart was found guilty of 15 counts of professional misconduct, and unfit to practise as a solicitor by a tribunal.  It was said he ignored client complaints and took in one case — seven and a half years to complete the winding up of an estate.  He’d also appeared before the tribunal on a previous occasion in 2004 on similar allegations and failed to refund one client when he overcharged them.  The tribunal ordered the solicitor to be struck off.

‘ LAWYER STOLE £168,000 FROM CLIENTS ‘

SOLICITOR NICHOLAS POUNDER appeared before Cardiff Crown Court on charges of theft — and was jailed for 18 months.  The court heard how the solicitor of DAVID & SNAPE Bridgend, stole more than £168,000 from client accounts to pay off a car loan and take luxury holidays.  He admitted to eighteen charges of fraud and theft with another 71 offences to be taken into consideration.  He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £7,500.

‘ LIE DETECTOR FIX SOLICITOR IS SUSPENDED ‘

LAWYER TREVOR BECKFORD appeared before a tribunal after they had received evidence of the solicitor agreeing to falsify a lie detector test for a female client under a false name.  It also heard that he had represented the woman previously who had a criminal record.  In a taped conversation Beckford said ‘ It would cost about a thousand to arrange things’  Beckford was working as a consultant solicitor with FOSTERS SOLICITORS in Norwich.  He was suspended for two years and ordered to pay costs of £6,800.

‘ THEFT AND FORGERY LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN PULESTON WILLIAMS of Holyhead, admitted to charges of forgery and stealing £143,000 of client funds at Chester Crown Court.  Williams, a former senior partner in PROTHERS WILLIAMS in Bangor, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.  It was stated that the thefts and forgery took place over a three year period, and that he was now bankrupt.

‘ DISHONEST SOLICITOR IS DISGRACED ‘

LAWYER ADRIAN G DONKIN, a once trusted solicitor of thirty years at JOHN DONKIN & CO. Gateshead, helped himself to client cash by many thousands.  The tribunal found over several exhibits that he’d acted dishonestly and misused client money knowing so, even if he held a different view on what dishonesty meant.  Investigators found a shortfall of £62,646 in the accounts.  The solicitor was struck off the roll.

‘ FALSE CHEQUE STUB LAWYER JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER SAVAGE of Lowestoft was jailed for 28 days by Lowestoft Magistrates Court after being found guilty of theft.  It was heard that he falsified a cheque stub to indicate certain money had gone into a hospital account when it had not.  The payment was £1,300, but Savage used £700 and put the remainder in his own account.  It was later discovered he forged client signatures and cheated another charity.  He was ordered to be struck off and ordered to pay £785 costs.

‘ EMBEZZLING SOLICITOR IS SENT TO PRISON ‘

LAWYER CALUM BLYTH of Glasgow appeared before the High Court in Edinburgh.  The court heard how Blyth had been using £100,000 of client cash to prop up the firm’s overdraft during a two year period.  Blyth now of Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire received a 3 year jail sentence and was struck off the solicitor’s roll.  The judge later reduced his sentence to two years after it was said the solicitor was a significant suicide risk.

‘ CHILD ABUSE LAWYER IS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR ANTHONY BARE of Manchester appeared before the Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester on two counts of indecent assault on a child.  It is said the 10 year-old daughter of a client was being groomed by the solicitor who bought her expensive gifts.  The court heard how he took her out in his sports car — the scene of one attack on the girl.  The solicitor was sent to prison for three and a half years and banned from working with children.

‘ £20,000 STEAL BY SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER ROLAN HESLOP-GILL, a North Yorkshire solicitor took £20,000 from client accounts to pay off a utility bill the tribunal heard.  It was stated that he took excessive sums from the firm as salary even though he was a partner in JEFFERSON WILLAN & CO.  When a limit was introduced, the solicitor began to take cash from client accounts, dishonestly using it for his own purposes.  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off.

‘ THEFT LAWYER GETS 4 YEARS JAIL ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER Mc CHRYSTAL appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on charges of theft.  It heard that he’d been robbing clients in order to sustain other debts.  He already had two convictions for Drink/Driving and things seemed to get out of control.  He then began dipping into client accounts.  He admitted to four counts of theft and was jailed for four years.

‘ Law Society fail again and face a £2million bill ‘

Throughout the period of 2000 – 2004- 2006 to 2010, the Law Society have been unable to assure the public that they can deal with bent lawyers.  Fine after fine has been imposed and promises of websites to highlight and name and shame solicitors — all utterly worthless promises and rhetoric. Complaints are on the rise against solicitors and barristers of involving crime to misconduct.  They were threatened with another £1million fine if they did not meet a deadline to submit a revised plan to deal with the matter properly.  Chief Executive Janet Paraskeva in 2004 said when interviewed by ‘ the Lawyer’ journal ‘ it will cost in excess of £2million if they hope to achieve a significant step forward in addressing the problem’  Since that time, there have been fines – very large ones too, but no real progress.  The most notable change is the lack of publicity, unaccountability and way this is now swept under the carpet — something they wanted to happen right from the beginning.

‘ Friends in High Places ‘

When lawyers lie, and they do frequently, it can lead to only one thing — an attempted cover up, and the avenues of escape they have at their disposal are revealed here, as we have been studying several incidents and one that involved a property and fraud scam by a group of lawyers who still remain hidden and under the radar as far as being prosecuted or running the risk of being caught.  It is quite unlikely this bunch will be — because of the power and influence they have.  Throughout this page and site one cannot deny that most of the ones featured have stolen, committed perjury and perpetrated acts of fraud.  It basically comes down to ‘ Perverting the course of justice ‘ something they are all quite good at.  Most of the lawyers who appear before a tribunal for stealing client money, lying etc, should be sent to jail — the same offences dealt with in a court are!  But the tribunal have different values and these fiddling lawyers know they will not do prison time if they appear before a tribunal.  Suspension, being struck off, or a fine, they can tolerate that and return to practise later.  Some have done this and appeared a second time and still manage to walk away largely unscathed. The cloak of safety exists for them with the tribunal and they know that the Law Society and SDT have their interests in mind before throwing them to  the police or public castigation. Complaints against lawyers are regarded as a minor irritation, and if they can ignore them long enough they are confident the complainant will go away, and this is often the case as the previous article proves when you consider the Law Society’s poor performance on dealing with bad lawyers.

‘ Barrister Cherie Blair called a liar ‘

It appears that Alastair Campbell urges everyone to know that lawyer Cherie Blair is a liar.  He was of course very close to hubby Tony Blair so one cannot easily dismiss his knowledge on both parties.  This all stems from the scandal that surrounded her over house buying deal that involved fraudster Peter Foster.  She allowed him to act for her in buying two flats in Bristol.

She was also involved in a railway incident over a ticket, not having one and being questioned over it, as with the above scandal as it is now called, she merely walked away from it.

‘ PROBATE SOLICITOR JAILED FOR THEFT ‘

LAWYER MARYLENA SHUTI appeared before Luton Crown Court on charges of stealing from client accounts.  The bigamous solicitor made out cheques to herself of £6,000 and £2,000 from the estate of Clifford Parkinson, which was used to pay for a wedding.  It appears that her previous marriage was not legally dissolved — therefore making her a bigamist when wedding her new man.  The solicitor who was with the firm HOWE ROACH & WALKER in Stevenage, had lied to get her job there it was said.  The North London solicitor pleaded guilty and was jailed for 6 months.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYER DEFRAUDS INLAND REVENUE ‘

SOLICITOR DANIEL HURLEY ran up a debt of £300,000 in his client account, and used the client funds to pay his VAT returns.  He was found guilty of defrauding the Inland Revenue — and making dubious ‘ under the counter’ payments for one of his clients in a property transaction.  The High Court heard how he misused client money to buy a holiday home.  Hurley was barred from practising for 10 years.

‘ SOLICITOR FINED £1,000 OVER MISCONDUCT ‘

LAWYER VICTOR JOHN HATCH of Aldershot, Hampshire, was given warnings about being vigilant and on his guard against property fraud, yet he failed to act on this when two such transactions at his firm had all the indications and facets that should have alerted him to such behaviour.  The conveyance transactions were improper and unprofessional the tribunal ruled.  The solicitor was fined £1,000 for misconduct and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ SUSPENDED LAWYER REPRIMANDED ‘

SOLICITOR BRIAN J F DUNLEAVY of Argyle Chambers, Albany Road, Cardiff, was reprimanded by a tribunal for ‘ Unbefitting Behaviour’ and suspended for one month.  Evidence was presented confirming that he did not have a current practice certificate whilst being open for business.  No order was made for costs.

‘ MISCONDUCT LAWYER DISREGARDS INSTRUCTIONS ‘

SOLICITOR GRAEME S HERALD of HERALD & CO. was found guilty of professional misconduct, failure to follow instructions and failing to return ‘video evidence’ to a client in a neighbour dispute case.  At the time of the first complaint he was ordered to pay the client £500 compensation, but this was not followed up by him, it was also said he deliberately delayed a £2,000 payment in the matter surrounding a £250 compensation payment to a client, and this payment was not forthcoming either.  The tribunal ordered that he be suspended.

‘ ACCOUNTS MISUSE SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER JULIE CARTER-WOODS of Wellington, in Lincolnshire, appeared before a tribunal charged with several breaches of the regulations including the misuse of client accounts and misappropriating monies.  She also failed to remedy the breaches in the accounts and investigators found that she had used client funds for her own purposes and committed acts of dishonesty — acting against the clients’ interests.  She was struck off the roll.

‘ LAWYER SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY ‘

SOLICITOR IAN TUDOR UNSWORTH of South Glamorgan, a sole practitioner, was suspended indefinitely by the tribunal for failures in proper accounting procedures.  Although the solicitor claimed ill-health, he failed to supply documentary evidence of this when asked.  The tribunal found him guilty of ‘ unbefitting conduct’ and ordered him to pay costs of £2,041.

‘ £10,000 FINE FOR SOLICITOR IN MONEY MISUSE ‘

LAWYER JONATHAN F WOODROFFE found himself before a tribunal charged with the misuse of client cash.  It was said he had without authorization, taken £1,750 of client money and put it into his own bank account — which was ‘ unbefitting conduct’ according to the panel who considered two very serious allegations and fined him £10,000 — and ordered him to pay costs of £3,600.

‘ WILL LAWYER IS FINED ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL T BROOKS breached the rules on representation in a will for a client when he knew his sister was a main beneficiary.  He declined to advise that other independent advice should be sought in the light of this and withheld this vital fact.  He continued to draw up the will knowing it was a ‘conflict of interests’.  The tribunal found his conduct disgraceful and fined him £10,000, although they did seriously consider a suspension in this matter.  Brooks was ordered to pay costs of £3,750.

‘ INCOMPETENT SOLICITOR IS REPRIMANDED ‘

LAWYER MORGAN LEWIS WHEELER of the High St, Falkirk, was found guilty of Professional Misconduct in that he failed to supervise trainees and staff in the firm, which allowed a certain degree of confusion and work achievement to fall below the required standards expected.

‘ UNBEFITTING CONDUCT SOLICITOR IN SHORTFALLS ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS A STONE appeared before a tribunal and was found guilty of ‘ unbefitting conduct’.  Stone from Poole in Dorset, was found to have a client account with a sum of money in it at the close of his practice, which should have been refunded to those clients that were owed it.  Allegations of misconduct in view of this breach were not without foundation, and the tribunal held the view it was his responsibility to return the money to those clients without delay.

‘ LAWYER MISLED AND USED CLIENT CASH ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID R E SIMS of Chester, faced charges of misusing client money for his own purpose — and furthermore — misleading them and adopting delay tactics.  It was noted that some of the breaches covered his probate dealings in particular.  The tribunal in ‘ lenient mood ‘ fined him £3,000, and ordered him to pay costs of £3,000 despite the breaches of trust he engaged in with clients.

‘ SOLICITORS CONDUCT UNACCEPTABLE ‘

LAWYERS MICHAEL ELLENBOGEN and ANDREW H JAMES of the partnership ANDREW JACKSON & CO of Liverpool, faced a tribunal over failings and breaches in accounting that went back over a period of years.  It was stated that they failed to rectify breaches even though they were required to get the firm in a proper running order.  They were each fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ FORGERY AND THEFT LAWYER JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR DONALD HALLING appeared before Newcastle Crown Court on 12 counts of forgery, and 7 counts of theft, — in that he took £630,000 from client wills when he was at the firm of PATTERSON, GLENTON & STACEY in South Shields.  It was heard that he wanted to compensate other clients for his failures in certain cases.  He claimed to these clients that he had won substantial payouts for them when in fact this was completely untrue.  The court sentenced the solicitor to 3 years in prison.

‘ SOLICITOR PAYS OFF VAT WITH CLIENT MONEY ‘

LAWYER JOHN O DONNELL of the firm O DONNELL VAUGHAN in Edinburgh, took £60,000 of client’s money to pay off the firm’s PAYE, VAT and National Insurance arrears the tribunal heard.  It was also said he misled clients over enquiries.  He was ordered to pay £600 to the client in addition to restoring the money but failed to do so.  He was found guilty of professional misconduct and was suspended for five years subject to restrictions.

‘ ASYLUM SOLICITOR GETS 5 YEARS JAIL ‘

LAWYER TITUS MIRANDA appeared before the Guildhall Crown Court for his part in a ‘ Asylum Fraud ‘ — creating bogus claims at £70 a time.  It was stated that he ran his law firm like a ‘ factory of lies’ specializing in Chinese Asylum claims, and smuggling people into the UK through an organised gangster racket.  He carried out the operation with his wife at his firm in Camberwell.  They were both convicted of ‘ conspiracy to defraud’  — the solicitor was jailed for 5 years and struck off, and his wife Jessica Jin was given 2 years.  A third person who was a translator — Long Lee, absconded before the trial opened.

‘ LITTLEHAMPTON LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF FOR DISHONESTY ‘

SOLICITOR ROBIN PARSLOW of PARSLOW SOLICITORS, High St, Littlehampton, was struck off by a tribunal for deception and dishonesty, in that he lied to investigators from the solicitors complaints division.  He faced 13 allegations — three for dishonesty — continuing to practice while suspended — drink/driving, and failing to comply with an order of the High Court.  The Law Society closed down his offices in Littlehampton.  The tribunal heard that there were missing files on inspection, and that a deposit of £140,000, the proceeds of a client property sale were tied up in the office account, but only £20,000 remained in it.  He was ordered to be struck off and to pay costs of £12,118.

‘ SOLICITORS IN DECEPTION AND LIES STEAL THE CASH ‘

LAWYERS PETER WILSON and RICHARD LLOYD thought they would never be found out if they pocketed the £53,000 they obtained from a bankrupt company in Warwickshire.  The two solicitors of WILSON. LLOYD in Coventry pleaded guilty to dishonesty at the tribunal when it was heard they lied in order to deceive the company liquidator over assets the bankrupt company had.  They claimed £25,000 went on fees etc, and transferred the balance into a joint building society account.  Both lawyers were ordered to be struck off.

‘ MONEY-LAUNDERING BLINDNESS JAILS LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR GAVIN D McCARTAN was accused of turning a blind eye to the operation of a money laundering situation he must have been aware of when acting for a client the court said.  The Conveyance solicitor from Belfast received a cash deposit of £70,250 from the ‘ suspicious client’ who wanted him to hand a property deal.  A National Crime Bureau became suspicious of the large cash deposit and began investigations which revealed the client who represented himself as a car salesman failed to declare that he had a substantial criminal record.  The court jailed the solicitor for 6 months.

‘ HOUSING SCAM FRAUD SOLICITOR IN COURT ‘

LAWYER NORMAN HOPWOOD with others appeared before Bradford Magistrates on charges of forgery in connection with the housing fraud scam.  The matter concerned ‘ fraudulent transfers’ of property and conspiracy to defraud.  After hearing evidence and submissions, the case was referred to the Crown Court for trial.  The solicitor who works at a Leeds Law Practice was bailed to appear for trial when a date is fixed.

‘ FRAUD LAWYER SCAMS FINANCE COMPANIES ‘

SOLICITOR ROBIN G SKEA from Perth, appeared before the court on charges that he defrauded finance companies by as much as £6million.  Skea had set up a firm to deal in farm equipment — but this was actually bogus, as he took loans for himself to fund buying cars, expensive wines, horses, and works of art.  The solicitor who is now bankrupt, was jailed for six years.

WE NOW GO TO OUR SECOND LIST OF BENT LAWYERS supplied by Richard Barrymore.

SOLICITOR COLIN HUTCHINS — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR GEOFFREY FINCH — Malpractice and false accounting.

BARRISTER BRIAN UPTON —– Robbery.

SOLICITOR RUSSELL WHITE — Deception and Fraud.

SOLICITOR DAVID JOHN WARD — Drink/Driving and making a false statement.

SOLICITOR RAYMOND GOSWELL —- Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR HELEN WARDLE — Deception and misusing client funds.

SOLICITOR ASTON A KIRBY —- Passport Fraud scam.

BARRISTER MICHAEL DREWELL —- Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR ROSALIND COOPER —  Perjury and fraud.

SOLICITOR MAURICE LONG — Legal Aid Scam.

SOLICITOR STEPHEN A FOX — Defrauding banks.

SOLICITOR LEONARD GOLDING – Conveyance fraud.

LAWYER JAMES ASHBRIDGE — Conspiracy to Rob.

SOLICITOR PAT WALKER —- Deception.

SOLICITOR NIGEL K SUMPTER — Theft and Dishonesty.

SOLICITOR ALAN H MARVIN — Assault and Deception.

SOLICITOR PAUL RICHARDS — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR WILLIAM JONES  —- Drink/Driving and Perjury.

SOLICITOR EDWARD SPEARS — Robbery.

SOLICITOR JANE THOMPSON — Theft of client money.

BARRISTER JEREMY BROUGHTON  — Fraud Scam Conspiracy.

LAWYER DEREK PEARSON — Property Scam.

SOLICITOR BILL WHITEHEAD  — Deception and Theft.

SOLICITOR JUSTIN A TRAVERS  — Laundering money.

SOLICITOR GEORGE HOPKINS  — Misuse of client funds.

SOLICITOR JOHN KINSEY  — Betting Scam Conspiracy.

SOLICITOR MATTHEW ELLIS — Conspiracy to defraud.

SOLICITOR PATRICK CURRIE  — Sex assault on young child.

SOLICITOR DAVID ROY WALKER —Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR ROBERT CHEESEMAN  — Stealing Client Cash.

SOLICITOR LIONEL BARBER — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR DON ATKINSON  — Legal Aid Scam.

SOLICITOR PETER GRAY — Conspiracy to Rob.

SOLICITOR STUART MILLER  — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR RUSSELL STAFFORD  — Deception.

SOLICITOR OLIVER METCALFE  — Perjury.

SOLICITOR JAYNE C SMITH — Deception and Fraud.

SOLICITOR DOUGLAS WRIGHT  — Theft.

SOLICITOR MARCUS AITKEN  — Conspiracy to defraud.

Usual Double Standards from Lawyer

CULTURAL MINISTER Ed Vaizey trained to be a barrister before entering politics we are told, and on the program with Andrew Neil he continually showed his ignorance by talking over anyone else relentlessly. Even when news was said that the government were to cut back and axe help to the film industry and Andrew mentioned that he as an MP was seen promoting the Arts and committing himself to enlarging projects, he had no answer and tried to fudge his way through as arrogantly as we have come to expect from people like him

 Barrister Cherie Blair and the shady millionaire ‘

Payout £167,000 and Lawyer Cherie Blair will attend.  Millionaire Rezart Taci sent his jet to get the lawyer and now judge Cherie Blair who faces a trial for beating up a man to improve his public image?  When questioned Cherie Blaire failed to mention that he had been charged with assault and could face three years in jail.  The millionaire attacked an investigative journalist who was looking into the evasion of tax and corruption concerning Rezart Taci. Cherie Blair claims the visit was a sort of endorsement public image affair, but staff surrounding the millionaire say that he was not satisfied that he was getting value for money.

‘ MONEY-LAUNDERING LAWYER IN VAT STING ‘

SOLICITOR GERARD HYDE an Ealing Lawyer, ran a net of bogus companies involved in ripping-off £13.8million in a 16 month VAT fraud with property boss John Donnan.  They also imported mobile phones which they obtained tax free, and then sold them with VAT, which they both pocketed as an extra profit.  Both men were sent to jail by the Crown Court.

‘ HIGHGATE SOLICITOR RAIDS FIRM CASH ‘

LAWYER PAUL SAFFRON at the firm RADCLIFFES LE BRASSEUR of London helped himself to £200,000 of the company’s money over a three year period.  It was said he spent most of the cash going to strip joints and sex shows, clubs, across London. Police were called in when the firm discovered a deficit in the accounts of £104,000. Saffron claimed illness in his defence, but the tribunal decided to have him struck-off.

‘ MISAPPROPRIATION LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR IAN DESMOND of the Lancashire Law Firm MARSDENS, helped himself to client money in order to build up a property portfolio for himself.  It was said at a tribunal that the lawyer stole more than £239,000 mostly from elderly clients to buy houses.  The Preston solicitor was struck off by the tribunal who said ‘ it was the most appalling dishonesty they had dealt with for some time.’

‘ DISGRACED SOLICITOR STEALS FROM FRIEND ‘

LAWYER IAN CATTO, a former city councillor and up for being a Westminster MP (he would fit in nicely with them ) was jailed for 27 months by the court who heard that he stole £70,000 from a friend who was a disabled client of the firm. Over a two-year period he took the money to finance a wealthy lifestyle, despite being described as a ‘ successful lawyer ‘

‘ TRAINEE SOLICITOR IN BANK FRAUD ‘

LAW STUDENT and TRAINEE SOLICITOR ANDREW CURZON of London, dismissed the principles of honesty when he decided to bank a cheque for £117,000 meant for an elderly neighbour which arrived in his post wrongly. Curzon made attempts top rub out the name as best as he could before putting his name on it and submitting it to his local bank in Wimbledon, a branch of the Nat West, and told staff to deposit it in his own account.

‘ LAWYER SUPPLIES PRISONER WITH DRUGS ‘

SOLICITOR ANGELA BAILLIE appeared before a court over charges that she supplied heroin to a prisoner in the Barlinnie Prison. She was stopped and searched by staff and subsequently arrested.  She pleaded guilty to the offences and will be sentenced later it said.  Although there was a gagging order on her name being revealed, this was successfully challenged and lifted.

‘ SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF FOR MISCONDUCT ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL BLOW of Harlow, Essex, who ran his one man firm from his garden shed, was struck off by a tribunal when it was discovered that he had taken and misused client money to the tune of £546,000 to shore up discrepancies in his accounts. Compensation to his clients is being taken out of the Solicitors Insurance fund.

‘ LAWYER IN £6MILLION THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL FIELDING was jailed for 8 years by Southwark Crown Court after it was heard that he had used his position as a partner in the law firm LAWRENCE GRAHAM to commit fraud over a three-year period. It was stated the investigators found 140 unauthorised withdrawals were made by him totalling well over £6million from client accounts.

‘ SOLICITOR’S FIRM SHUT DOWN BY LAW SOCIETY ‘

LAWYER BARRY ROBERTS failed guarantees and promises led to the destruction and wind up of a viable firm because he represented a firm that owed £40,000, and said they would honour this and make payments in future under a refinance deal. But this did not happen and promises from him were not honoured, and the owed company went bust. It was later revealed that Roberts own Sheffield firm was closed down by the Law Society.

‘ LAWYER DISMISSED FOR DISHONESTY ‘

SOLICITOR ZOSIA FRASER took £1,300 from the Law Firm she worked for. A hearing was told that she charged clients and kept the cash payments for herself instead of putting it through the company.  It was said she had a promising career, but this was now over, after she admitted the theft charge, and was dismissed from her position in the firm.

‘ MISUSE OF CLIENT MONEY SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER KEITH CROFT of RIDDELL, CROFT & CO, ST Helens St, Ipswich, was struck off by a tribunal after hearing that the solicitor had misappropriated £27,400 of client account cash. It was said that he improperly transferred money from client accounts into the firm’s account. 

‘ LAWYER LIES TO COVER UP BUNGLE ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL HOPKINS of INGHAMS in Winkley Square, Preston, had only just qualified as a solicitor when he made mistakes in the handling of a property transaction. But, instead of seeking advice or telling colleagues, he decided to lie his way out of it to avoid exposing the errors. The tribunal decided that Hopkins should be struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ ELABORATE VAT SWINDLE BRINGS DOWN SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER GERALD REARDON from Kent, thought he could cheat the taxpayers in a scam with several others running Virgini Ltd, trading in mobile phones. It was discovered that the phones never actually existed, yet paperwork was issued in connection with it.  The court heard that it involved around £10million and money laundering. The wealthy Lawyer of Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire was jailed for 8 years.

‘ FRAUD LAWYER IS JAILED FOR 2 YEARS ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID SASSON, from Merseyside, Liverpool, appeared before a Crown Court charged with fraud.  The lawyer is stated to have made £250,000 from Alliance International Ventures. The court heard how the company set up in 1997 – ‘ was a fraud from the very beginning ‘  It ran on the pretence of offering funding to foreign business projects, but Alliance had no money at all.  The Solicitor was struck off after admitting theft from his employers – CARL MONTLAKE of Liverpool.  Sasson was sent to prison for two years.

‘ SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR THIEVING SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER DAVID YORK was spared going to jail by the judge in mitigation of personal tragedy despite being found guilty of embezzling. York was at the firm PYMS SOLICITORS of Bridge St, Belper when he took £4,000 as he persuaded clients to make cheques out to his own personal account. York who mainly worked on civil cases was sentenced to 12 months suspended.

‘ FALSE ACCOUNTING AND FRAUD LAWYER GOES TO JAIL ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT STOBER of Tadley, appeared before Winchester Crown Court on three charges of deception, five charges of conspiracy to defraud, and four charges of false accounting in a mortgage scam.  He appeared with three others who defrauded banks and building societies over a long period. Stober of Silchester Road, Tadley was jailed for six years.

‘ SOLICITOR FIDDLES FIRM OUT OF £19,000 ‘

LAWYER PRIYA PRASHER who worked in Plymouth, was jailed for two years after evidence showed she had ‘ doctored cheques ‘ so that they would go into her own account. She was charged with false accounting and perverting the course of justice, and found guilty of theft from the firm TROBRIDGES SOLICITORS who only found out about her crime when an investigation was carried out.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR 15 MONTHS ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP JOHN GRIFFITHS appeared before Warwick Crown Court on charges of money laundering.  The two week trial revealed that he ignored the usual signs of a money laundering scam and that he failed to disclose these facts to the authorities. The case involved client drug dealers who were involved in a house purchase in Birmingham. The court sentenced him to serve 15 months in jail.

‘ SWINDLING SOLICITOR WAS ALREADY STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER SIMON RUTLEDGE appeared before a court charged with being involved in a swindle that left a young couple losing an estimated £90,000 from their business venture in Peterborough. Rutledge was given a community service order of 240 hours. His cohort Brandon was jailed for three and a half years.  It was disclosed that solicitor Rutledge was already struck off.

‘ THEFT AND FORGERY LAWYER IS JAILED FOR 7 YEARS ‘

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY MILES, a partner in the Uxbridge firm of BIRD & LOVIBOND, was sent to prison for seven years by a court who heard that he stole around £1.3million from client accounts. A former chairman of the Round Table, the solicitor bought a luxury flat in Gerrards Cross, a new Jaguar car and paid off his mortgage in his desire to live the high life. He pleaded guilty to 13 charges of theft and one charge of forgery involving wills.

‘ SOLICITOR GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT ‘

LAWYER WILLIAM RENNIE was in charge of the wills and probate department and was dealing with a couple who died only a matter of weeks apart from each other. However, it was discovered later that the solicitor failed in his professional capacity as he let the property in the will fall into ruin. The tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct.

We now go to our third list of corrupt lawyers supplied and collated by Richard Barrymore:

SOLICITOR EDWARD BROOK — Theft and Deception.

SOLICITOR PHILIP GOUGH  — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR NICHOLA PADGETT  — Theft.

SOLICITOR THOMAS WHEELER  — Drink/Driving and Perjury.

SOLICITOR ADRIAN BRADLEY — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR GILLIAN HATFIELD  —  Forgery and Stealing.

BARRISTER JAMES WHITFIELD  — Conspiracy to defraud and deception.

SOLICITOR NIGEL COVEY  — Threatening Behaviour and Assault.

SOLICITOR BRIAN SMITH  — Conveyance Swindle.

SOLICITOR RICHARD NORTON  — Fraud.

SOLICITOR LAWRENCE GIBBONS  — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR ALAN HAYWOOD  —  Theft of Client Cash.

SOLICITOR DAVID SPENCER — Money laundering.

SOLICITOR STEPHEN TERRY  — Blackmail Plot.

SOLICITOR KEVIN LITTLE  — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR STUART JACKSON  — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR MICHAEL WADE  —-  Forgery and illegal possession of drugs.

SOLICITOR BARRY HOLFORD  —  Drink/Driving and Perjury.

SOLICITOR EDWARD BLYTH  — False Accounting and misuse of client funds.

SOLICITOR WALTER HUMPHREYS  —  Theft and Money Scam.

SOLICITOR ANDREW DAVIS   —  Conspiracy to Rob.

BARRISTER HUGH PETERS  —  Insurance Swindle and Deception.

SOLICITOR MARGARET HENDERSON  — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR GERALD W FULLER  — Misuse of client accounts.

SOLICITOR STEVEN SMITH —-  Deception and Forgery.

SOLICITOR THOMAS MERRITT  —  Intent to Supply Drugs.

SOLICITOR JACKIE EDWARDS — Theft and Perjury.

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY INGHAM  —- Drink/Driving and making a false statement.

SOLICITOR RICHARD F ELLIS  —- Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR ROBERT WHITE  —-  Molesting a boy and sex charges.

SOLICITOR NICHOLAS AVERY  — Child Abuse.

SOLICITOR DAVID B FISHER  — Theft and Deception.

SOLICITOR SEAN WILLIAMS  — Money laundering Scam.

SOLICITOR ALAN J GREEN  — Passport and Legal Aid Scam.

SOLICITOR JOHN MANNING  —- False Accounting and Professional Misconduct.

SOLICITOR KEITH PELT  —-  Drug Charges and theft.

SOLICITOR NIGEL KING   —  Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

SOLICITOR FRANK HOPKINS  — Theft of client accounts.

SOLICITOR DEREK GALE  —  Conveyance Fraud.

‘ Attorney General in cover up over files ‘

Yet again we have secrecy in the legal profession, and it is the Attorney General Dominic Grieve who is dead set on keeping information out of the public gaze.  it’s quite obvious it covers up military and police malpractice even if they deny it.  Something is only kept secret if it is too shocking or corrupt to be known about.  Whitehall says it can hide this stuff away for 70 years, and why is this?  it is for a new generation who probably cannot do anything about past deviance of a government and they will be likely to just accept that it happened at the time? The Kelly files and his death have been a bungle since it happened, and how they handled it will not go away.

‘ Barrister and Tory Peer in £24,000 expense claim fiddle ‘

PRACTISING BARRISTER AND HOUSE OF LORDS PEER LORD TAYLOR of Warwick appeared in court to deny claims that he fiddled his expenses. The sixth politician to be charged over the expenses fraud that surrounded and went deep into Gordon Brown’s government faced six charges of making dishonest claims in order to defraud the taxpayers. The charges relate to 16 claims falsely represented as legitimate expenses.  The Barrister and Peer appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court.

‘ Lawyer says he’s being forced out of the profession ‘

65 year old SOLICITOR LESLIE SELDON took his claim for unfair dismissal to the Appeal Court, and lost the report says.  He claimed in his writ that he was being discriminated against — A civil litigation partner in the Kent firm of CLARKSON, WRIGHT & JAKES was dismissed by the firm who decided at 65 he should move on to make way for younger lawyers. He lost his £150,000 a year job before the new retirement rules come into force; he is considering lodging another appeal.

We now go to our fourth list of corrupt lawyers compiled and researched by Richard Barrymore:

SOLICITOR GODFREY HAIMES  —  Embezzlement.

SOLICITOR RICHARD COATES  — Fraud and Deception.

SOLICITOR FRANK LEA  — Professional Misconduct and forgery.

SOLICITOR AIDEN SCOTT  —- Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR JOHN WILKINS  —- Drink/Driving and fleeing the scene.

SOLICITOR LINDSAY HARRIS  — Mortgage Fraud.

BARRISTER NIGEL BERESFORD — Perverting the course of justice.

SOLICITOR LAWRENCE COOPER  — Property Scam.

SOLICITOR COLIN HILL  — Legal Aid Fraud.

SOLICITOR YVONNE MARTIN  — Theft from clients.

SOLICITOR MERVYN STALLARD   — Conspiracy to Rob with others.

SOLICITOR GERRY WRIGHT  —  Conveyance Fraud.

SOLICITOR RONALD TOMLINSON  — Client account misuse and theft.

SOLICITOR THOMAS CHAMBERS  —  Forgery/wills.

SOLICITOR JACK OLSEN — Sexual assault on a minor.

SOLICITOR ROGER SPIERS  —- Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR WILLIAM WARNER  — Money Laundering.

SOLICITOR LOUIS MASTERS — Money Laundering.

SOLICITOR CHRISTINE HENNESAY  — Client Theft.

SOLICITOR TERENCE ROLFE — Property fraud and money scam.

SOLICITOR PATRICIA JONES  — False Accounting.

BARRISTER JAMES SIMMONDS  — Perverting the course of justice and Perjury.

SOLICITOR MALCOLM HALL  —-  Misuse of client accounts.

SOLICITOR REGINALD WHITELY  — Money laundering.

SOLICITOR ALICE GREENWOOD  — Conspiracy to Rob.

SOLICITOR FIONA CHASE —- Forgery and Perjury.

BARRISTER NATHANIEL BARRETT — Drink/Driving and Perjury.

SOLICITOR PAUL FROST  — Mortgage Fraud and False Acccounting.

SOLICITOR SAMANTHA GOSLING  — Theft.

SOLICITOR JEFFREY LUNN  — Deception.

SOLICITOR MORRIS GOLDMAN  — Fraud.

SOLICITOR WILFRED MORTON  — Legal Aid Scam.

SOLICITOR PATRICK ROBINSON  —  Intent to supply class A drugs.

SOLICITOR ROBERT WHITTAKER  — Stealing from client accounts.

SOLICITOR STEPHEN MELLOR  —- Drug offences.

SOLICITOR GAVIN WRIGHT  — Child abuse and attempted abduction.

SOLICITOR DONALD HOLMES  — Fraud and Deception.

SOLICITOR MARK WILSON  — Intent to supply drugs and theft.

SOLICITOR LEONARD HETHERINGTON   — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR ALEXANDER MARTIN  —  Forgery and Deception.

‘ Lawyers set to milk the ‘retirement plans ‘

New plans by the government to scrap the retirement age is a charter for lawyers to grab money windfalls a report says.  CBI Director John Cridland says scrapping the retirement age limit will leave a vacuum and raise a great number of complex legal and employment questions which the government have as yet, failed to answer or work out properly. Ronnie Fox of FOX LAWYERS, a probable recipient of this money for all charter, says that one unintended consequence is bound to be a rise in disputes between employer and employees and that will certainly involve more work for legal firms in employment law and litigation.

‘ Lawyers hit the NHS for £121million over negligence cases ‘

GREEDY LAWYERS are milking the NHS costing millions to the taxpayer.  As much as £900 an hour a report shows, with one law firm charging over five times the going rate. The NHS paid out £121million in compensation claims in just one year the report says. One case put forward to highlight this greedy attitude by solicitors and barristers was shown by one firm that won £35,000 for a claimant and put in a bill for £195,000. Another example of greed was shown when another law firm put in a bill of £218,750 — more than four times the rate — their client got just £50,000. Other mounting costs come from a dire breed called ‘ claims farmers’ who advertise on radio and TV touting for customers to pass onto their associate lawyers under ‘the no win, no fee’ banner. These methods around compensation can be very lucrative for lawyers. Stephen Walker of NHS Litigation Authority was outraged by the way lawyers are bleeding the NHS.

‘ The Scandal of ‘ the bread and butter’ cases scam ‘

ARE LAWYERS HONEST, FAIR, AND ON YOUR SIDE?   — NO, and that is the simple answer, because we can tell you of the so named ‘ bread and butter cases ‘ and in order to best describe how this works, we will draw on a case we on file concerning a law practice in Taunton, Somerset.  Bread and butter cases are essentially cases that are drawn out and milked until they are almost dry — without alarming the client of course.  They run on and on mainly by slow progress and countless letters and applications to courts, other lawyers and professional bodies etc.  The practice as this example goes — hired a new solicitor just as the one of the firm’s partners went on a three week holiday.  No one in the firm expected the new solicitor to go wading through the client files.  In his enthusiasm to impress, he found a case that was almost three years old, so he set about resolving it, and he did within two weeks.  When the partner returned he was absolutely furious, as it turned out — the case had been steadily earning the firm a stead income every month over the years.  The boss did not care that these cases could easily be settled and would have been good news to the clients, his only concern was milking the case for the profits to him and the company, so beware, there are loads of lawyers who are doing this, perhaps in every firm there is. 

‘ Law firm try to silence this website – because of mischievous rogue ‘

A few of our fellow sites such as ‘ Name and shame ‘ and wikileaks are being the subject of attacks alleging defamation and libel, something which is getting the UK and especially the Law, a bad name. We were the subject of such an attack and indicted on a court action brought by solicitors Roach Pittis — Christopher Prew, Philip Ledger, Barry Arnett, Keith Verrinder, Lee Peckham, Anthony Nicholas Bradshaw, Anthony Peter Holmes, The firm continually made demands and threats to make the server take us down if we suggested anything untoward in their dealings.  We have however learned that every picture tells a story, and this one has been manipulated by one man who sought to use this site for his own ‘hate game and vendetta’ pitching us against ROACH PITTIS in the hope we would damage them. They did what they had to when coming against us and we are sad they did (they dropped us from the case yet never made contact with us before embarking upon the action — opting for threats), but Chris Prew must retain a good reputation for his firm, clients and partners, and that reputation is almost entirely intact, his law firm is not guilty of anything except patience and having to deal with a man who uses others to fight his battle, a battle that has no legal evidence and one not supported by facts or real proof. Since cutting our ties with this individual we have seen him making up lies suggesting blackmail of lawyers, lawyers paying us etc, concealing the truth, all invented by a man who has damaged what little bit of credibility he may have once had with fictitious guff cosmetically spruced up to look like evidence!! — because he has none.

WE ARE HERE TO EXPOSE CORRUPTION IN THE LAW —- ISLE OF WIGHT– ROACH PITTIS ARE NOT CORRUPT.

P.S. Subsequently, Roach Pittis have chosen not close this chapter entirely, despite efforts by us to let ‘sleeping dogs lie’….and Chris Prew mounted a second attack over an article….and invited another round…in which we decided to release and publish ‘the letter’ he didn’t want seen involving one of the partners…..which can be viewed at ‘Not quite Legal’

‘ TWO YEARS FOR LAWYER IN PENSION THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR CARSTON IVERSON deceived trustees in a pension fund that all was well — while he helped another client take more than £2million from the fund. The lawyer was jailed for two years after the judge said that he played a vital role in the theft at his trial.

‘ SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF OVER BREACHES ‘

LAWYER ALAN KILSHAW lost his appeal and was struck off for breaching strict financial rules at his disciplinary hearing before two judges. His wife made attempts to secure just a suspension claiming he had not been dishonest, but this was rejected.

‘ LAWYER WHO AIDED FRAUDSTER WAS JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR SUSAN DAVIES was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for helping fraudster Andreas Kitallides to steal £425,000 in an Advance Fee Scam. Kitallides escaped by fleeing to Africa while Davies appeared in court and was convicted of conspiracy to defraud — she was also struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ BOGUS VISA SOLICITOR SENT TO JAIL ‘

LAWYER CHRIS CHRISTODOULIDES admitted to conspiracy to defraud the Home Office when he appeared in court.  The North London solicitor took thousands of pounds charging immigrants for visas using forged documents. The court heard that he facilitated their illegal entry into the U.K. — the 38 year old lawyer was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

‘ RACIST BARRISTER IS DISBARRED ‘

BARRISTER JOSEPH SYKES was thrown out of the profession after sending a letter to who he thought was a trusted solicitor making comments about another solicitor — a senior black solicitor calling him ‘ a nigger’ and suggesting he should go back to Ghana. The bar council disbarred the Oxford educated lawyer for racism, after receiving the incriminating and racist letter from solicitor Philip Glah.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN INGHAM aged 60, was sent to prison for six years after a court found him guilty of stealing more than a £1miilion from deceased clients estates. The West Yorkshire solicitor admitted to 19 counts of theft from client accounts held by his firm in Otley.

‘ GREEDY CRIME-CRUSADER BARRISTER GOES TO JAIL ‘

ANTI-CORRUPTION LAWYER RICARDO NARDI was jailed by a court for four and a half years. The barrister was hired to root out corruption in the travel industry — and was given the nickname — ‘ Mr. Clean ‘ until it was discovered he swindled the Association of British Travel Agents out of £1million in his position as the Legal Services Chief.

‘ SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF FOR REVENGE PAYBACK ‘

LAWYER PANIKKOS PANAY  took revenge on the firm he worked for by using it to gain £43,000 through various techniques when they denied him a pay rise the report says. The solicitor who worked for Heckford Norton in Letchworth was struck off by the tribunal at the hearing.

‘ LAWYER USES CLIENT CASH FOR MORTGAGE AND SALARY ‘

SOLICITOR GORDON KINGAN was struck off for dishonesty after it was heard that he used a client’s account and cheque to fund his own salary and pay his mortgage. The tribunal heard how he used £10,000 of the client’s cash at his Wirral Firm.

‘ 7 SOLICITORS MISUSE CLIENT CASH TO FUND OFFICE ‘

A tribunal heard how seven solicitors at the firm of CARRICK,CARR WRIGHT of Hull, kept their business going by using client accounts cash, stamp duty payments and land registry money in their office accounts to reduce their overdraft. The cashier at the firm, KEVIN ROONEY gave himself a bonus to help pay for a holiday villa. The outcome of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal was not available to us.

‘ NADIR’S LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR PETER KRIVINSKAS chief advisor and long-standing solicitor to Nadir, was struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after they decided the amount of evidence before them could only be settled by his removal from the roll.

‘ BARRISTER IS DISBARRED AFTER COMPLAINTS ‘

LAWYER COLIN WILLIAM CAMPBELL, was disbarred after it was discovered that he was representing two murder cases at the same time in two courts — one being 130 miles away?  It was said in his defence to the complaints that his personal life was in turmoil which resulted in tremendous strain.

‘ SOLICITOR ACTING AS ‘FRONT’ FOR DUBIOUS PLANE DEAL ‘

LAWYER IAN HUTCHINSON was involved in a multi-million pound cargo planes deal, allowing his firm’s headed notepaper to give it ‘ a cloak of respectability ‘ the tribunal heard. Hutchinson of Trinity Road, Paddington, was said to have allowed himself and his firm’s notepaper to be used to approach Airlines and moneylenders on behalf of a group of companies without carrying out the proper checks. The solicitor was struck off.

‘ LAWYER DEFRAUDS INVESTORS ‘

SOLICITOR HAYDN JAMES DODGE was jailed by the court after they found him guilty of defrauding investors out of £600,000. The solicitor was remanded in custody until sentencing in case he took flight.

‘ TWO SOLICITORS STEAL FROM BANKRUPT COMPANY ‘

LAWYERS PETER WILSON and RICHARD LLOYD were struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after it was heard they jointly stole £53,000 from a bankrupt client, They both admitted charges of dishonesty.

‘ DISGRACED LAWYER GOES BANKRUPT ‘

SOLICITOR DOUGLAS CRIGGIE  who was investigated by the serious fraud squad after clients’ money had disappeared, was finally disgraced when he appeared before a court bankrupt and owing £750,000.

‘ CHICHESTER BARRISTER IS JAILED FOR TAX EVASION ‘

BARRISTER RICHARD DEIGHTON of Bognor Road, Chichester, was subject to a lengthy Inland Revenue Investigation and prosecution. He was found guilty of cheating the Inland Revenue at his trial at Maidstone Crown Court, and was sentenced to 9 months in prison.

‘ SOLICITOR FINED OVER CHEQUE ‘

An un-named solicitor at the firm MAX GOLD PARTNERSHIP of Silver Street, Hull, was fined £10,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal when it was heard that an insurance payout – settlement cheque for worker James Evans who died value – £80,000 was put into the office account instead of being transferred to his wife as it should have been.

‘ LAWYER SWINDLES CLIENTS OUT OF £19,000 ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD Mc ANULTY was sentenced to eighteen months in jail by the court after being found guilty of using client’s money. The judge said that this kind of thing could only merit a custodial sentence.

‘ ROGUE SOLICITOR BACK TO HIS OLD TRICKS ‘

LAWYER PAUL ANDERSON, made bankrupt after fleecing investors while he accrued debts of around £1million was discovered to be at it again so the report says. New allegations say that he has enticed dozens of people who are now ruined, in a failed ‘get rich quick mortgage scheme ‘

‘ BRADFORD RIOTS LAWYER IN LINE TO BE STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR AURANGZEB IGBAL who represented dozens of defendants after the Bradford riots incident, is to face the Disciplinary tribunal with two other solicitors in connection with their involvement in running a sham practice the report says.

‘ SOLICITOR MAKES FALSE CLAIMS ‘

LAWYER PHILIP MERRILLS-DEARN appeared before a Disciplinary Tribunal accused of attempting to create a false picture in order to attract big investors. It was said that he made out that his firm had 10million dollars to put into the oil drilling scheme when in fact they did not, and secondly that he used firm headed notepaper to add credibility. The Law Society could not agree on a unanimous verdict of dishonesty, despite the facts presented.

‘ ONE LAWYER SUSPENDED — ONE STRUCK OFF ‘

TWO SOLICITORS faced action after being found to be at the centre of a legal aid scam. The fraud involved £750,000 of public money falsely claimed by the two solicitors during investigations by the board. Lawyer DECLAN ADAMS was suspended for six months, and his partner was struck off.

‘ 3 LAWYERS STRUCK OFF OVER CASH MISAPPROPRIATION ‘

SOLICITORS – STEPHEN GILL, KEVIN MINOTTI and MALCOLM HANSEN, were accused of trust fund irregularities and misappropriation of client account cash. Hansen was struck off because his clerk had taken around £150,000 with or without his supervision or lack of. Gill and Minotti misappropriated around £2million between them.

‘ Law Firm Payout over negligence claims against them ‘

SOLICITORS SHAW AND COMPANY of Doncaster had to pay out compensation of over £100,000 to thirteen miners due to the firm’s negligence. The Law Society heard that they handled the miners claims negligently and ordered them to pay compensation as a result of The Yorkshire Post running a story on the law firm about their conduct in connection with an inquiry by The Yorkshire Compensation Recovery Service.

‘ Lawyer’s Office is raided by the Police ‘

DRUG ENFORCEMENT POLICE OFFICERS raided the firm of solicitors – CHRIS SAYER in connection with a career criminal Alexander Donnelly. Details were not available at the time for us to comment further.

‘ Law Society shut down solicitor’s Office ‘

GIDLEY AND COMPANY of Stainland Road, Huddersfield were forcibly closed by the Law Society according to a report, but no details were given on the circumstances leading to this.

‘ Prisoner turned solicitor, struck off for murder attempt ‘

A REPORT reveals the amazing case of a ‘lifer ‘ prisoner who was serving a sentence for the murder of a teenager on a dance floor — stabbing him to death, and reading law in prison, and going on to be a solicitor. Being let out on licence, he was soon arrested again for the attempted murder of his wife?

‘ LAWYERS IN £144MILLION LEGAL AID PROBE ‘

SOLICITOR IAN McPEAKE received a four week ban as the Scottish Legal Aid Board began an investigation into a multi-million pound fraud scam by lawyers. Two un-named solicitors were banned from every court in Scotland, and several others are being investigated.

‘ SOLICITOR LOSES LAW FIRM AND IS SUSPENDED ‘

LAWYER SIMON CANNON was suspended indefinitely by the tribunal after making several blunders with client money, which led to the decision to close down his law practice. The tribunal was told that he encountered severe financial and personal problems.

‘ LAWYERS FAILED CASHBACK SCHEME REVEALS LIE ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD CAPLAN was stated to have lied to a colleague solicitor when they formed a ‘ £25million cashback scheme ‘ — The tribunal heard that Caplan assured his partner that the scheme was backed by insurers — but on following this up the other lawyer found this was not the case.

‘ SOLICITOR STEALS £114,355 FROM CLIENTS ‘

LAWYER DUNCAN WALL appeared before a tribunal after stealing £114,355 of client cash from their accounts. Wall worked with the firm HARDING. SWINBURNE JACKSON AND CO. in Sunderland. It was discovered that he made 167 improper transactions while running his own firm in South Shields.

‘ LAWYER CHARGES WITH 23 COUNTS OF FRAUD ‘

HIGH FLYER SOLICITOR ROHAN SKEA faced another twenty-three counts of fraud in connection with a seven million dollar theft from several finance companies.

‘ YEAR BAN FOR SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER JOSEPH AARON was suspended for one year by a tribunal for giving endowment mortgage victims hope of compensation, which was described by the tribunal as false hope and mis-selling. the solicitor struck out at the decision to ban him saying that he had been properly regulated by the law society and was not obliged to reveal his disciplinary record.

‘ MONEY LAUNDERING LAWYER IS CHARGED ‘

THIRD SOLICITOR JOHN GREENWOOD was formally charged by the police for the laundering of drugs cash. The solicitor from Colne, Lancashire was charged with conspiracy to money launder.

‘ SOLICITOR GETS 5 YEARS IN JAIL ‘

LAWYER PETER LYLE SHARP was sentenced by the court to five years (with no parole for three years) after being found guilty of 39 charges brought against him for the improper use of his position as the director of an investment company to gain an advantage directly or indirectly for himself — he was also found guilty of making false statements with intent to obtain a financial advantage.

‘ 3 SOLICITORS IN EX-BANKER’S SCAM ‘

LAWYERS MICHAEL WILSON-SMITH, PETER BARNETT and MINESH RUPARELIA stood in the court dock with former banker Martin Gibbins who masterminded an International charade of deceit — making millions out of human frailties and ignorance. It was said the four of them colluded in scamming investors along with their financial consultant, Imdab Ullah.

‘ PERJURY LAWYER GETS 18 MONTHS JAIL ‘

LAWYER HARJIT SINGH was arrested by the police and charged with perverting the course of justice. In court it was said that he lied to police giving a false statement, the city solicitor was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

‘ CASH PROBE LAWYER IS SUSPENDED ‘

SOLICITOR GEOFFREY STUART LAWTON appeared before a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and was suspended indefinitely. The Heckmondwyke solicitor admitted a string of charges involving cash at his practice G.S.LAWTON AND CO. Headingly, Leeds.

‘ SWINDLING SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER DMYTRO TORKONIAK lied to accident victims over the amounts awarded in compensation claims he handled on their behalf. It was estimated that over a period he pocketed around £1million before being found out. The tribunal said this was dishonest and he was struck off the roll.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYER IS CAUGHT OUT ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL BATEMAN, a former partner at CUNNINGTON’S in Sheffield, was struck off by the Disciplinary board tribunal after hearing how he took homebuyer’s cash. The case was referred to the police for investigation.

‘ BARRISTER CONTINUES DESPITE BEING BARRED ‘

DISGRACED BARRISTER PAUL COE came under scrutiny when he took a top job in the wealthiest land council prompting dismay and amazement that he was employed to give legal advice.

‘ SOLICITOR SENT TO JAIL FOR FRAUD ‘

LAWYER JENNIFER HAMPTON, a former WHITE AND CASE solicitor was sent to prison for conspiracy to defraud and theft by a court, after pleading guilty to all of the charges.

‘ LEGAL AID FRAUD LAWYER INVESTIGATED ‘

SOLICITOR LIAQAT MALIK was at the centre of a probe when The Manchester Evening News published a story accusing him of ten cases of legal aid fraud and using a false university degree when applying to be a solicitor. The matter is now being looked at by the Law Society and Disciplinary tribunal.

‘ ROAD ACCIDENT CASE SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER KEVIN NUTT appeared before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over the matter of leaving three woman clients involved in a road crash with just £1 of damages each after representing them.  The solicitor admitted to making a complete mess of the cases and as a result was struck off.

‘ MISCONDUCT LAWYER IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR MARK SUTHERLAND-FISHER was struck off the solicitors roll after being found guilty of misconduct in the profession. No details were available to us at the time.

‘ THEFT SOLICITOR APPEARS IN COURT ‘

LAWYER TIM FARRANT, a former partner in the Scarborough law firm GRUNWELLS, appeared before York Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR FIVE YEARS ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL WINTER MORRIS was sent to prison by a court for five years after being found guilty of taking around £8million from client accounts at his own law firm.  At a tribunal they decided that Morris should be struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ SOLICITOR USES CLIENT CASH TO PAY LOANS ‘

LAWYER DAVID HOLDER resorted to helping himself to funds held in the client accounts when he ran up debts of almost £700,000 the tribunal heard.

‘ LAWYER PLEADS GUILTY TO RACKETEERING ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW WARREN of London pleaded guilty to charges of attempted racketeering in connection with an international stock fraud conspiracy that operated in the USA and UK. It was revealed that Warren was with the London solicitors firm of TALBOT, GREGG AND CO.

‘ SUSSEX SOLICITOR IS JAILED FOR THEFT ‘

LAWYER JILL RADFORD was said to have plundered the estate of a client, cashed cheques totalling £45,505, over a period of 18 months — while working as executor of the estate. She was sent to prison for 9 months.

‘ TRAVELLER’S CHEQUES SOLICITOR IS JAILED ‘

LAWYER YASIN MOHAMMED ran a scam involving £1.2million of stolen traveller’s cheques to be sold onto others.  It was said that with others he co-ordinated deals from his firm in Oldham. He was finally caught and arrested in a police sting operation when he tried to sell £15,000 worth of stolen cheques to an undercover officer. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

‘ LAWYER ON THE RUN IS STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID RAWLINGS   fled abroad when it was discovered he had stolen around £250,000 from client accounts to pay off large debts he owed. The tribunal heard that other client cash went to pay for his children’s education — public school fees, and the escalating tax bill. The tribunal decided to have him struck off.

‘ STUNNED SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER JOHN BACON looked visually stunned when he stood before the Disciplinary Tribunal when they decided to have him struck off over muddled up cash at his practice.

‘ EMBEZZLING LAWYER IS SENT TO JAIL ‘

SOLICITOR DONALD PINE was jailed for a total of five and a half years by the court after he was found guilty of stealing £63,000 from client accounts. It was said on his behalf that his practice was debt ridden and he did it to keep things going.  The tribunal after the court hearing also struck off the lawyer.

‘ SOLICITOR IN CATALOGUE OF ERRORS ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY THIPTHORPE of Southend, was struck off by the tribunal on several counts including not paying back £20,000 he borrowed from an elderly woman client, and failing to safeguard another client’s interest during a ‘ probate dispute’ resulting in that client paying costs of £50,000.

‘ THEFT OF CLIENT CASH JAILS LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL JAMES PALMER pleaded guilty to 17 offences of conspiracy to defraud, theft, forgery and false accounting — involving deceased client cash. Palmer, a senior partner in a leading West End Firm of solicitors, misappropriated around £250,000, and was sent to prison for a term of three years.

‘ Lawyers to face curb on TV ads is a red herring ‘

Recent papers have announced that ministers will reduce the no win – no fee lawyers from TV adverts in light of the growing compensation culture fuelled by solicitors from the outset. Well, they haven’t nor do they intend to. Six months ago one could see about three major law firms advertising, now it has risen to around six, all claiming they fight for justice and for you? what utter tosh. Lawyers fight for themselves as our lists show, and money is their game.

‘ Failures in the justice system show the sham it is ‘

The courts and justice system are in a £600million mess according to figures from the Ministry of Justice. It says many fines are not being paid in, and this goes more in the County Courts whose judgements are laughable. Its fixed penalty notices are failing badly too. The loss total was £43million more than its 2008-2009 figures and last year in 2010 another £87.9million up on that. Yet we would guess this does not affect solicitors earnings at all.

‘ Law Firm is being investigated over Data Protection Act Breaches ‘

A Report says that the firm A.C.S LAW are to be investigated over leaking 1000’s of people’s personal data. it concerns the downloading of music from the internet and ACS LAW have been snooping and accessing data which is a criminal breach of the act according to a BBC report in September 2010.

We now go onto the fifth list of bent lawyers supplied and researched by Richard Barrymore.

SOLICITOR ANTHONY MARTIN — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR ELIZABETH MARCHWOOD —- Theft and Deception.

SOLICITOR MARY ASHWIN —- Perverting the Course of Justice.

BARRISTER CHRISTOPHER GOODWOOD — Investment scam and Deception.

SOLICITOR EUGENE EDWARDS  — Conspiracy to Rob.

SOLICITOR STANLEY WILSON — Stealing from client accounts.

SOLICITOR JACK BURGESS  — Deception.

SOLICITOR RAYMOND PIERCE  — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR BRIAN NELSON  — Housing Scam with others.

SOLICITOR CHARLES RENWICK — Conflict of Interests and client cash fraud.

SOLICITOR JONATHAN KIMBLE — Perverting the course of justice.

BARRISTER RYAN HADLEIGH-PHILLIPS — Dangerous Driving and false statement.

SOLICITOR THOMAS EVANS — Misrepresentation and using a false instrument.

SOLICITOR ANDREW BELLMAN — Forgery and using client cash.

SOLICITOR HILARY DYSON  — Perjury and false accounting.

BARRISTER JOHN MARK TAYLOR  — Deception.

SOLICITOR OLIVER FAIRBANKS  — Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR MASON FERVELL  — Attempt to defraud Legal Aid.

SOLICITOR HUGHIE DRISCOLL — Robbery with others.

SOLICITOR KEVIN BRYCE — Misappropriation of client cash.

SOLICITOR SIMON DUNN  — Fled scene of Accident and falsified alibi.

SOLICITOR GEORGE RIDDEL — Mortgage Fraud and money laundering.

SOLICITOR COLIN BUXTON — False Accounting.

SOLICITOR MARTYN COX — Assault and Perjury.

SOLICITOR ROBERT ALDWICK — Misuse of client accounts.

SOLICITOR JAMES CARRICK — Negligence and false accounting.

SOLICITOR ARTHUR RYDER  — Fraud and Deception.

SOLICITOR PETER MATHIESON — Mortgage Scam.

SOLICITOR FRANK PATERSON — Collusion in money scheme that was sham.

SOLICITOR ALAN SMITH — False Accounting and improper use of client cash.

SOLICITOR WILLIAM SPENCER  — Misappropriation of client money.

SOLICITOR RAYMOND CARTER — Lied over assault and used false document.

SOLICITOR JOHN BUCKLEY — Misuse of client accounts.

BARRISTER CHARLES MAITLAND  — Forged papers in Insurance claim.

SOLICITOR STEVEN CHATOR — Mortgage Scam.

SOLICITOR MICHAEL BETTS — Blackmail and attempted threats.

SOLICITOR PATRICIA SMITH  — Theft.

SOLICITOR JANE COOTES — Deception and misuse of client accounts.

‘ MP starts libel claim over book by Leading Barrister ‘

LORD PENDRY MP flew into a rage when he read a passage in Criminal barrister Sir Ivan Lawrence’s book — strangely titled MY LIFE IN CRIME in which he described Pendry as ‘ a cheat’ — Lord Pendry is now consulting his lawyer.

‘ Law student murders his own father ‘

High -flying law student Mark Alexander was convicted at Reading Crown Court of murder, the murder of his pushy father — Samuel Alexander. It is said he killed his father over an argument when his father insisted the law student spend two years studying in Paris, but Mark wanted to stay in London. The court heard how the student buried his father’s remains in the garden.

‘ Solicitor commits suicide — body in the Solent ‘

Solicitor David Alan Powell was found dead and in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. It was stated that it was suicide. The lawyer worked for the firm Walter Gray on the Isle of Wight.

‘ Lawyer’s secret life as transvestite revealed ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID BURGESS led an astonishing secret life as a transvestite after leaving the law firm it was said by the team investigating his death under a tube train in London. In the world of sex and play he was known as Sonia Jardiniere describing himself on a website as ‘ A Party Doll ‘ and posed as an escort. unknown to his wife and children he also lived with a 33yr old Asian man. He worked at the firm LUQMANI THOMPSON. A woman was arrested in connection with his death as it was thought that he was pushed off the platform into the path of the oncoming train.

‘ SOLICITOR ACTS TO DELAY COURT ACTION ‘

LAWYER JAMI TEHRANI claimed more time, responding that his defence would take up to three weeks of court time. Obviously being a solicitor there is the consensus by those who want him in court that he is playing a well known and thought out delay card. This has led to a delay of seven months before he appears in court due to the fact it cannot be slotted in very easily by the court in question. The report/article states that he is bankrupt and owes money to the Law Society?

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR MANSLAUGHTER ‘

SOLICITOR LES HUMES was jailed for seven years by the court for stabbing to death his wife. Humes from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of provocation. The court heard how he went into a jealous rage on hearing that he was to be replaced with a younger man and taking a knife he stabbed his wife in front of their young children.

‘ £1MILLION LEGAL AID FRAUD SOLICITOR JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR GARY GROSBERG and his firm were said by the judge ‘ a gang of thieves ‘ — at Liverpool Crown Court the solicitor was jailed for 15 months. The judge went onto say ‘ there is a regrettable tendency for solicitors to overclaim for legal aid work, and that Grosberg’s fate may be a warning to others ‘  The court heard how GROSBERG AND CO secured bogus green forms using the ignorance to their advantage of people on benefit.

‘ IMMIGRATION LAWYER JAILED OVER SCAM ‘

NIGERIAN BORN SOLICITOR ADELASOYE was caught with a priest initiating and carrying out marriages so that the law could be sidestepped to obtain an illegal residency. The solicitor along with the Parish Priest in Hastings participated in the large number of ‘unlawful wedding ceremonies’ for a cut in the profits. The Priest was also jailed for his part in the scam.

‘ LAWYER FOR SILVIO BERLUSCONI RECEIVES JAIL SENTENCE ‘

BARRISTER DAVID MILLS found himself being sentenced by an Italian Court to four and a half years in prison for accepting a bribe for Berlusconi to give false evidence on his behalf in the corruption trials of 1997 and 1998. The Money-laundering and Fraud case went to some 15,000 pages of evidence submitted by the prosecutors. On a later appeal the conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court. Mills was investigated for money-laundering and tax fraud, and the report says Mills and Berlusconi were ordered to trial on corruption charges.

‘ SOLICITOR JAILED OVER LEGAL AID FRAUD ‘

LAWYER NAJAF SHAH was found guilty of carrying out a £158,000 legal aid fraud and sent to prison for 12 months at Southwark Crown Court.  It was said that he submitted many fraudulent legal aid forms for work he claimed his firm had carried out.  Shah of Poplar, East London, admitted 3 counts of fraud.

‘ DRUG DEALING LAWYER JAILED FOR 11 YEARS ‘

SOLICITOR TONY DARNELL a Stockport Lawyer was convicted for drug dealing, forgery and assault, and was sentenced by a court to eleven years in prison. Further information reveals that Darnell was more or less let off by the Disciplinary Tribunal on two occasions although convicted as a criminal. It goes on to say they fined him later and eventually decided to have him struck off?

‘ SOLICITOR BRANDED A FRAUD BY HIGH COURT JUDGE ‘

LAWYER JOHN BREBNER faced allegations that he misappropriated and stole £500,000 of money belonging to Mr.John Collins. The money held disappeared it is said. Mr Collins fought with the OSS for six years over the matter before they finally admitted they had got it wrong according to the report. Mr Collins issued a writ on the Law Society for negligence.

‘ TRIBUNAL FINES LAWYER OVER MISUSE OF CLIENT CASH ‘

SOLICITOR CHARLES ALLCHURCH was accused of misusing £200,000 of client account cash and was fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The Tewkesbury Lawyer was also accused of ripping off former sea captain Jerald Stevenson of £15,000 which is said to have gone into Allchurch’s personal bank account. Inspectors following up complaints accused Allchurch of dishonesty, but the Law Society President let him off with a fine.

‘ MONEY-LAUNDERING SOLICITOR JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR SHADAB KHAN  appeared before Leeds Crown Court charged with ‘ drugs money laundering ‘ for a major drugs cartel. The award-winning solicitor was sentenced to four years in jail. The solicitor a partner in the firm SOLICITORS DIRECT was convicted of one charge of money-laundering and one charge of failing to disclose a suspicion of money laundering in connection with the client Khalik Malik who ran a luxury car business in Bradford as a front for dealing and supplying heroin valued at £7million — he was jailed for 25 years.

‘ CRIMINAL LAWYER REALLY EMBRACES THE CRIMINAL ASPECT ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY BLOK really took to being a criminal on a grand scale when he not only dealt in money laundering but went on to deal in a stolen painting too. The charges against him were money-laundering, involvement in the theft of a valuable painting, perjury and perverting the course of justice.  The solicitor who once worked with the firm SEARS BLOK SOLICITORS in Camberwell now retired aged 71, was said by police to have given the name of an innocent man in place of his client to hide his involvement in the theft of the painting — continually abused the concept of the legal profession, concealing criminal property, lied to the court and made attempts to hinder all investigations.  The solicitor was sent to prison for four years.

‘ MISCONDUCT SOLICITOR AGREES TO BE STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER DAVID WILLIAM HUTCHINSON of GOLDSTONES SOLICITORS, in Swansea agreed with the decision to have himself struck off the solicitors roll after admitting to charges of professional misconduct. He also agreed to pay back £840 to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.  It was said that he allowed a conflict of interests which pervaded evidence in a murder trial, undermining the strategy which resulted in an unfair trial. 

‘ LAWYER BARRED AND ACCUSED OF THEFT ‘

HIGH FLYING LAWYER JAN WARD was accused of stealing £250,000 from Eatonfield Holdings Ltd and was charged with fraud offences after being barred from practising.  It is said the fraud involved millions of U.S. Dollars, and he is yet to stand trial on those charges. Ward is accused of conning millionaire Rob Lloyd out of £500,000 involving the purchase of a holiday home in the Bahamas. Another accusation is that the lawyer took £350,000 from a British Construction Company too.

‘ SOLICITOR ARRESTED OVER FRAUD ‘

FORMER LAWYER TO GARY GLITTER, GIOVANNI DI STEFANO was arrested by police in Spain it was announced in a news update. The lawyer who lives in the UK represented Gary Glitter was arrested at his other home in Marjorca, and was charged with 18 counts of theft, fraud and money-laundering during the period of 2004 to 2009. It was stated that most of the charges related to defrauding clients. It said he was suffering from illness at the time of his arrest and that a judge will decide if he should go before the National court in Madrid. The lawyer moved from Italy to live with his parents in England and became a lawyer in the UK.

‘ LAWYER JAILED FOR £1.4MILLION THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR SIMON MORGAN appeared before Leeds Crown Court charged with stealing funds from his firm MILNERS to the amount of £1.4million to fund a luxury lifestyle such as holidays and deposit on a Ferrari car. The lawyer from York was the office manager and therefore able to access the accounts freely. It was heard that he and his wife weaved a string of lies to deceive anyone who suspicion about their wealthy status, the court will be dealing with her later it is reported.  Morgan pleaded guilty to the charges and said that he was too ill and really unfit to stand trial. Judge Goss said that Morgan had disgraced a profession that relied upon ‘ trust and honesty ‘ and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

‘ SOLICITOR CHARGED WITH FRAUD ‘

LAWYER PAULINE BUTLER was charged with theft after a two-year investigation by police. It is said she misused client accounts and faces three charges associated with what was described – abusing her position of trust. The solicitor from Longtown will appear before Carlisle Magistrates.

‘ TWO LAWYERS CHARGED WITH MORTGAGE FRAUD ‘

SOLICITORS MARK KNIGHTS and KAMRAN MALIK were charged with offences concerning a £50million high value mortgage fraud.  Mark Knights from Cheshire and Kamran Malik from Birmingham appeared before the City of London Magistrates Court relating to charges brought under the Theft Act 1968 on three counts of deception. 

‘ MONEY-LAUNDERING SOLICITOR APPEARS IN COURT ‘

LAWYER JACQUELINA LAVERICK appeared before Grantham Magistrates Court on 19 charges of fraud and money-laundering.  The solicitor who worked in the Wills and Probate section of the Law Firm Jacqui Johns was charged with others including her husband Steven Laverick.  They were committed for trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

‘ £250,000 FRAUD LAWYER CHARGED ‘

SOLICITOR DEREK SPEED from Canterbury in Kent faces 18 charges of money laundering, possession of articles used in fraud and a false identity document. He is to appear before Maidstone Magistrates. The lawyer had a previous judgement against him from the County Court.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority had ordered that he should attend a course on ‘ the solicitor’s code of conduct ‘

SPEED got 5 years in jail for 14 fraud related offences when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.  It is said that the Probate Lawyer with EMD LAW in Kent was supplied with fake ID’s, wage slips and documents from an online company called ‘Confidential Access’ which was closed down by police who found that it was run on an international basis providing documents to commit crimes.  It was said that Speed arranged for money and shares to the value of £250,000 to be transferred into his own accounts.

‘ SOLICITOR IN £50MILLION FRAUD ‘

LAWYER SIMON LAWRENCE from Edgeware was arrested in connection with a £50million mortgage fraud. The solicitor who worked at the firm of DARLINGTONS in the High Street, was a senior partner whose clients were networked in Hertfordshire and North West London.  He was charged with conspiracy to obtain a money transfer by deception.  Five others have also been arrested in the sting.  They were committed for trial at Southwark Crown Court.

‘ PROPERTY LAWYER IN FRAUD CONSPIRACY ‘

SOLICITOR KEVIN STEELE was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to use false documents and abuse of his position.  He with a Property developer were charged with conspiracy to defraud a bank out of £22 million.  The lawyer worked as a partner at MISHCON DE REYA , but was expelled a spokesperson said.  The investigation was carried out by the Warwickshire police and the FSO.

‘ SOLICITOR IN PROPERTY SCAM FACES 16 CHARGES ‘

LAWYER BENJAMIN J CORNELIUS denied the eight charges of money laundering in connection with a £650,000 property scam and eight charges of fraud — He put in the plea before Bridgend Magistrates.  It is stated he made false representation to the Building Society and transferred criminal property– a mortgage advance of £97,000. He is to appear before Cardiff Crown Court.

‘ LAWYER IN TAX CLAIM FRAUD ‘

SOLICITOR LOUISE HAY who used a false name of Ally McSteel admitted taking £5,000 in a false tax claim in which she was a single parent. Hay has three children and claimed the cash that she was not entitled to for two years before being found out. She got £5,187.78 in working family tax credit using the name of Hazel Mears. A tribunal fined her £750 but allowed her to remain in practise?

‘ SOLICITOR STEALS CLIENT CASH ‘

LAWYER ZOSIA FRASER a specialist in Domestic law has been charged with misuse of client accounts at the firm of JOE MYLES AND CO. A spokesperson for the law firm said she had been dismissed after police began investigating. She was previously found guilty of forgery and reduced to traineeship for a year.

‘ LAWYER CHARGED IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL WINTER MORRIS at the Staffordshire Law Firm AH BROOKS AND CO was charged with money laundering the proceeds of a huge VAT fraud.  The prosecution is being brought by the Customs and Excise Department.  Morris accused of concealment and assisting others to benefit from a crime.  He is to appear before Birmingham Crown Court.

‘ BAIL DENIED TO FRAUD SOLICITOR ‘

SOLICITOR HO MING LO is accused of being connected to a major fraud gang, and helped to move £108,000 the High Court heard.  It was stated that she bought a £20,000 diamond ring in a desperate attempt to empty her bank account and tried to remove a lap top computer that showed evidence of fake claims for legal aid.  She also faces charges of false accounting, deception and assisting unlawful immigration.

‘ LAW SOCIETY SEEKS TO HAVE FRAUD LAWYER JAILED ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP KROWN received a suspended sentence at a previous trial for a £445,000 mortgage fraud, but a fresh attempt to have him jailed was launched by the Law Society.  They approached the High Court to have him tried for ‘ secreting the money’ and drawing down an £83,000 pension fund — thus breaking an injunction and contempt of court. 

‘ SOLICITOR IS NOT TO STAND TRIAL FOR FRAUD ‘

LAWYER PAUL BAXENDALE WALKER who was charged with fraud by the FSO in relation to a pension funds fraud is not to be prosecuted in a Criminal Court. Judge Wadsworth at Southwark Crown Court issued a stay and said that the issues relating to the fraud had been dealt with in a High Court Civil Action against the solicitor.

‘ LAWYER IN MULTI-MILLION INSURANCE FRAUD ‘

SOLICITOR BRIAN BARSO was charged with money laundering and fraud by false representation.  The investigation by the City of London Police along with the Insurance Fraud Bureau arrested four people including the solicitor in what they called a huge insurance scam involving the lawyer, one doctor and two business directors.

‘ SIX SOLICITORS CHARGED OVER BIGGEST MORTGAGE SCAM ‘

LAWYERS HARDEEP SODHI, FATEMA PATWA, MARK KNIGHT, LAWRENCE FENNIGAN, KAMRAN MALIK and SIMON LAWRENCE appeared at Southwark Crown Court charged in relation to the £50million mortgage fraud. Specialist David Freedman of Aubrey David LLP said ‘ It seems that many unscrupulous professionals were involved in creating a complex web of corruption that has taken several years to uncover.’ The Serious Fraud Office and Cheshire Building Society mounted the investigation when irregularities appeared. It is thought the complex case will last up to 12 weeks despite the fact that 2 other defendants have pleaded guilty.

Law firm is sued over property fraud ‘

The action involves DLA PIPER and defendants — DIBB LUPTON ALSOP & ALSOP WILKINSON formerly of DLA PIPER which is thought to be the fifth largest legal services in Britain.  DLA Piper is not being accused of fraud as it refers to a former partner of the firms absorbed into the organisation.  The allegations and investigations go back into the 1990’s it states, accusing the solicitors in 1996-7 ‘ in fraudulent breach of trust ‘ The case involves £15 million and that the then solicitors took more than £5million of Hampton Trust’s money. The alleged fraud involving a payment of £1.2 million mentions that the solicitors tried to cover up the fraud. The solicitors are accused of dishonesty and used cash to pay for a holiday home in Florida. Hampton’s also accuse the defendants of being negligent.  Hampton Trust claims the solicitors concealed things from them and are suing for £14.3million from the law firms who are now under the umbrella of DLA PIPER, it is also seeking interest.

‘ Lawyers use libel law to gag critics and opposition ‘

THE RICH AND POWERFUL ARE USING LIBEL LAWS to silence anyone who they do not like or agree with according to David Davis the former Tory shadow home secretary. He highlights several cases were lawyers have sought to silence critics. He says Britain’s libel laws have become a weapon, and lawyers are calling them in for themselves and their clients. He agreed that the obtaining of an injunction was all too easy to gag the opposition, which really was a curb on free speech allowed too much by Britain. It only serves to hide the truth in many cases and the lawyers have applied for the injunction for that very purpose, and not for the purpose of justice at all.

‘ No win, No fee lawyers are at it again despite rhetoric from Law Chiefs ‘

All this curbing of vulture solicitors must be too much for the Ministry of Justice and the Chancellor’s Dept to cope with, in fact, they haven’t done a thing — it’s all set to get even bigger and more profitable.  Law firms Chivers Solicitors a Yorkshire based office and Leigh Day Solicitors in London are taking on more staff and extending to grab compensation cases for over 500 prisoners demanding the vote to elections, and in the consideration Britain has 70,000 convicted prisoners the rewards of representing most of them will be huge especially as the taxpayer will end up paying anyway. This is a solicitors field day and they are poised to take all they can, the Daily Mail described them as ‘ shameless lawyers who mock democracy ‘ — they’ve been doing that for many years and they’ve got no intention of altering it at all.

‘ Solicitors front £8million mortgage fraud ‘

TWO SOLICITORS FROM THE FIRM MONTAGUE MASON SOLICITORS in Essex were part of a four man gang that were jailed for carrying out mortgage fraud that raked in £8million. Southwark Crown Court heard how the Law firm submitted false paperwork and documents in connection with 33 falsified applications. These were completed in the names of the solicitors — including certificates of title requesting the banks to release funding. After money went into the solicitors accounts, it was then quickly transferred to a network of false bank accounts by the other two members of the gang.  All four were jailed  — KHAWAR KHAN –5years, FARHAN KHAN — 2yrs, IMRAN MIRZA and NADEEM MIRZA  — 4 years each.

‘ Law Society attempt to crack down on Mortgage Fraud within profession ‘

ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CLEAN UP MORTGAGE FRAUD BY SOLICITORS emerged as the Law Society introduced a scheme called — ‘Conveyance Quality Scheme  Standard ‘  They hope that this award will curb mortgage fraud which amounted to £1 billion in 2010.  The National Fraud Authority said that there was an urgent need to tackle the rising tide of mortgage fraud. The Law Society proposes to give good law firms the ‘ CQS’ logo so that it will assure the public that they can trust solicitors who display it?

‘ The worn-out record of Lawyers denials ‘

THE MOST TIRESOME phrase one hears from solicitors and barristers is ‘ The denial of any wrong-doing ‘ so readily used on all occasions — a little bit like the infamous insurance advice on policies telling the driver not to admit fault even if they were at fault.  MP’s trip this out on various occasions, especially when they were involved in the expenses fraud scandal.  One wonders if this actually started with the lawyers as it has all the hallmarks of being uncooperative and diving into a safe loophole. In essence it is a dishonest way of handling a situation and effectively ignores truth.  One report stated that even if the denial is proved against the protesting lawyer he still believes there was nothing he did wrong and will not admit or face up to it. This is partly arrogance and stubbornness,,, and a loud voice?

‘ The Solicitors Indemnity Fund covers their negligence and more? ‘

OFFICIAL PAYOUTS and wrongs are conveniently covered, even the ones that never see it to being in the press. Sums are paid out for mistakes constantly.  Each firm of solicitors have an insurance limit of £2million, but an excess claim can be arranged depending on the seriousness of the claim against a lawyer.  In 2007 it was said there were 12,089 claims of the official nature.  Broker Martin Ellis said ‘ there is an unprecedented number of claims and recounted one firm rumoured to have 5,000 claims ‘  in 2009.  Graham Belchin expressed trouble ahead for the fund in that it had a £450million shortfall to meet negligence claims. The Law Society had to look for a new host for the fund and it was eventually transferred to Vision Underwriting Ltd. Apparently, the rise in claims comes from many cases involving theft of client accounts money.

‘ SHAMED LAWYER WHO ROBBED CLIENTS ‘

SOLICITOR VALERIE PENNY appeared before a tribunal in 2003 and was found guilty of misconduct — she was jailed for stealing £130,000 from client accounts and a catalogue of dishonesty. The U.S. born lawyer has now been released, and is back in business! — the report says — running a website touting wills and legal services, interestingly it mentions that s’

‘ ROGUE SOLICITOR PLAYS THE ANGLES ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL LYNN who is currently suspected of being involved in a £83million fraud, has been labelled  – ‘ special arrangements for special people ‘  The report says for reasons not made public, a civil case was brought despite the fact that the supreme court found him guilty of insider dealing.

‘ WEALTHY LAWYER ACCUSED OF ASSAULT ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW NULTY, a millionaire, faced charges of assaulting Police Constable Ian Harris in the high street, Newton-le-Willows. The Warrington solicitor said to have earned £13million from cases, was due to appear before St Helens Magistrates. He also faces; with another partner at the firm LAWYER ANTHONY CHORLTON 12 counts of professional misconduct. Both solicitors are from the firm AVALON SOLICITORS, and are to appear before a disciplinary tribunal.

‘ CROOKED LAWYER SENT TO JAIL ‘

SOLICITOR MARTIN DAVY was found guilty of stealing £38,000 at Manchester Crown Court. The personal injury solicitor of Warrington was said to have turned to crime after losing his job (sacked) at JMW SOLICITORS. He then went to RUPERT WOOD AND SON in Ashton-under-Lyne. His salary of £40,000 was disappointing and well below the £180,000 he was paid at JMW.  So he began stealing, and one theft was from a child abuse survivor’s compensation — he used the money to refurbish his house. He was sentenced to three years and two months and struck off.

‘ FIVE YEARS FOR DRUG SMUGGLING SOLICITOR ‘

LAWYER KATE DOOLEY admitted to smuggling £1,000 worth of cannabis and hiding heroin when she visited her jailed lover, robber Scott Jeffries. The recently appointed solicitor worked at a firm of solicitors in Glossop, Derbyshire Minshull Crown Court were told.

‘ SOLICITOR ROBS CLIENT ACCOUNTS ‘

LAWYER PHILIP TOTENHOFER of Brightlingsea appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on charges of theft amounting to nearly £200,000. He admitted to robbing charity cash of £41,000 intended for the Cancer Support and Lifeboat Service. The court jailed him for three years.

‘ CLERK WINS ASSAULT CASE AGAINST LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT LAYTON was convicted of assaulting his clerk Mr.Parkes.  Haringey Magistrates heard how the lawyer Bob Layton went into a rage over the photocopying of court papers. It was said he struck the clerk and had to be restrained by fellow solicitor Raymond Baretto at the firm of LAYTONS AND CO. in Acton, London. He was ordered to pay costs of £785 plus £20 in compensation. It said he was likely to be struck off when he appeared before the Disciplinary Tribunal at a later date.

‘ SOLICITOR HIDES CANNABIS IN HER BRA ‘

LAWYER DANIELA SCOTECE tried to smuggle in cannabis to a client in prison, the cannabis was concealed in her bra, but the solicitor failed a ‘drugs check ‘ and was detained. The court found her guilty of smuggling drugs into prison and she was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

‘ SOLICITOR CHEATS LEGAL AID OUT OF £158,000 ‘

LAWYER NAJAF SHAH grabbed £158,000 from taxpayers when he fraudulently submitted legal aid bills for 101 prison visits, when in fact he’d only done 20.  He then falsified documents to hide his crime, but found himself facing a verdict of guilty of dishonesty at Southwark Crown Court and jailed for 12 months. Shah was from Poplar in London.

‘ LAWYER STEALS £100,000 FROM CLIENTS ‘

SOLICITOR VERONICA HYLAND of Staffordshire, appeared before Staffordshire Crown Court on 16 counts of theft and fraud by false representation. It was said she stole £100,000 from elderly clients and paid client cheques into her own account by telling them to leave the payee blank and would use a rubber office stamp later, which she never did on these occasions of theft. It was also disclosed that she helped herself to £470 of client cash from her employers office.

‘ SOLICITOR ARRESTED ON THEFT CHARGES ‘

LAWYER DANIEL DENNIS of the firm BELL, LAMB & JOYSON in Merseyside, was arrested by the police. The high profile solicitor who is also an advocate able to present cases in the crown court — a specialist in criminal law and fraud, was arrested on suspicion of theft.  Another arrest was that of Court Clerk Michael Wootton, who worked at the Chester Crown Court, the same court Lawyer Dennis worked at, he was suspended in connection with the investigation.

‘ LAWYER PLUNDERS COUNCIL COMPENSATION CASH ‘

SOLICITOR MARSHALL RONALD was arrested in connection with the theft of £800,000 from one of the founders of the former Liverpool Cultural Centre, Quiggins.  The solicitor from Skelmersdale was accused of stealing from a client account.

‘ GRANTHAM THEFT SOLICITOR IS JAILED ‘

LAWYER JACQUI JOHNS appeared before Lincoln Crown Court for theft, and pleaded guilty to eleven counts of theft, and eight of money laundering. It was estimated she had swindled clients out of £214,870.  Johns was head of wills at the firm of CHATTERTONS. She was sentenced to three years in prison.

‘ COVER UP LAWYER LEADS TO REPRIMAND ‘

SOLICITOR CATRIONA MACFARLANE was found guilty of professional misconduct when she covered up the theft of £24,000 by her husband, who was a mortgage broker attached to the solicitor’s file. Her husband who cheated the client misappropriated the cash. Macfarlane then made attempts to conceal the deed.  A tribunal fined her £2,500 and made her subject to restrictions on her practice certificate.

‘ THEFT OF CLIENT CASH SOLICITOR IS STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER WILLIAM MOORE was struck off by a tribunal after his conviction of stealing £80,000 from clients. Moore was jailed for 12 months after swindling clients for three years. He admitted to six counts of theft, one of forgery and four counts of false accounting. He asked for other offences to be taken into consideration.

‘ LAWYER CHARGED WITH 10 OFFENCES OF THEFT ‘

SOLICITOR DAWSON J HANSON appeared before Nottingham Crown Court on charges of false accounting and theft from the Royal Shrovetide Committee.  The lawyer practised in Ashbourne. 

‘ ARRESTED SOLICITOR HAS HIS BAIL EXTENDED ‘

A SOUTHPORT LAWYER has extended his bail after being arrested on theft in Runcorn a report says.  Cheshire police say that the solicitor bail will now extend until the 23rd of March. It also informs us that the defence lawyer resigned his partnership at his law firm three days after the arrest.

‘ STEALING SOLICITOR GETS EIGHT YEARS ‘

LAWYER DYMTRYO TORKONIAK appeared before Lincoln Crown Court charged with the theft of £1 million from the dead, and client injury compensation claims.  He was found guilty of theft on 14 counts totalling £333,421 in property deception, false accounting and perjury. The Judge, Jonathan Teare said he stole from his godfather and priest. The Derbyshire lawyer was jailed for 8 years.

‘ FORGERY LAWYER IS SENT TO JAIL ‘

AN UN-NAMED SOLICITOR WHO STOLE £400,000 from a lonely elderly man was sent to jail. He confessed to forging when an audit revealed irregularities after he stole £45,000 from a charity trust fund.  He apparently used the cash to pay for holidays to Greece and pay off debts. The judge sentenced him to eighteen months, but 12 months of that was suspended.

‘ Law Society Regrets ‘ slate cleaning’ for 250 reprimanded solicitors ‘

A report disclosed that a disgruntled disciplined solicitor launched a bid to overturn a ruling. It concerned 250 solicitors whose records of misconduct remained on file — but this has now been ruled against and the degree of accountability and transparency thrown away in favour of keeping it secret.  One spokesperson said it shows an unwillingness by lawyers to come clean about their histories or past records which does not do much for the public image or the legal profession as a whole. ‘ They still believe they are special, and it is only them who really believe so ‘ he said.

‘ Lawyer who condemned the court action acts for beggar free ‘

Solicitor Steve George condemned the CPS and the court for prosecuting a homeless man charged with accepting 60 pence. Police pounced on the beggar as he begged for spare change in a car park and was given 60 pence by a kind woman. The solicitor on hearing the charge decided as a protest to represent the beggar ‘free’ despite what colleagues or the court thought of him.  Steve George said ‘he despaired of the court action ‘ The CPS replied by saying the cost of bringing the case was only £85?

There you are — one good lawyer, but a damn awful rotten legal system.

‘ Complaints about solicitors in a recent poll obtained  – an official one ‘

Here they are

Dishonesty – fraud – lying   came top at 87 per cent.

Professional Misconduct came out at  85 per cent.

Unprofessional Behaviour came in at  79 per cent.

The giving of inaccurate or incomplete information to clients came in at 73 per cent.

Professional Negligence by lawyers came in at  69 per cent.

Disregarding client instructions came in at  61 per cent.

The giving of bad advice or no proper advice  arrived in at   54 per cent.

The lawyers showed incompetence came in at   53 per cent.

Making mistakes and errors came in at   53 per cent.

The lack of client respect came in at  51 per cent.

Failure to respond to letters and phone calls came in at   50 per cent.

Didn’t keep the client informed of case progress  came in at  49  per cent.

Excessive and undue delays without explanation came in at  45  per cent.

Complaints not taken seriously were recorded as being 100 per cent by all those that dealt with solicitors.

Only 14 per cent were satisfied with any outcome of a complaint.

0 per cent was recorded in respect of disciplinary action brought against offending solicitors.

‘ Motor Insurers blame rising costs on ‘ sharp practice ‘ Lawyers ‘

INSURANCE COMPANY CHAUCER’s said in a statement concerning the huge rise in motor insurance premiums, — ‘It is mainly due to fraudulent claims and sharp practice by lawyers in the ‘no-win, no-fee ‘ game who have pushed up the the cost of car insurance. In 2010 there was an increase of 35 per cent on premiums, which means this year motorists will be paying 50 per cent more than they did in 2009. They warned that this would probably now foretell an average rise of 14 per cent each year now. The Law Society declined to comment.

‘ Barrister sues her chambers over £33million Race Discrimination matter ‘

LAWYER DR AISHA BIJLANI  a barrister at the New Square Chambers is taking her firm to a tribunal court  accusing them of victimisation and losing work that would have given her £7m.  The Lawyer is also appealing against an ‘ Harassment Conviction’ in 2004 which was given her absence. The Judge at Blackfriars Crown Court made the comment that her case was ‘ storm in a tea cup ‘ and that the trivial matter should be wound up without delay so that it would minimise the cost to the public purse.

‘ Bogus Marriage arrangements and the Lawyer ‘

SOLICITORS ALI SINCLAIR an East London Immigration Legal Practise featured strongly in the Panorama Programme about sham weddings that have one real goal? and that is a 5 year visa to stay in the UK. The BBC programme showed Lawyer Ali spelling it out on how to fix things in order to make it look legal. It was obvious he already knew that things were not right and got nervous when a ‘bride’ fixed by the programme asked questions. The programme showed how 10,000 euros bought a brothel girl from a gang who would pose as a bride.  Ali was approached in order that they obtained the ‘certificate of approval’ at £300 a go. The solicitor did open a file as it is so named legally, when the girl was changed and took the client’s cash.  The main aim of a sham marriage is to breach the immigration regulations, and the programme showed this. It was revealed later that Ali denied wrong-doing, but the film certainly showed his actions in a different light, and that he had been in the business of arranging marriages on a frequent basis, as he confirmed with the client who had a secret camera filming him.

‘ Justice Secretary Clarke claims no-win no-fee Lawyers will be reigned in? ‘

More rubbish yet again about the fat cat solicitors who are coining it in thanks to compensation cases.  The Justice Secretary says he will limit and make the law fairer and cheaper for the public?  Who’s he kidding, we’ve covered this already and found that more lawyers are turning their eyes and clutches on squeezing out more from ordinary citizens.  He admits daytime TV programmes are packed with ads from law firms on the make just like the ambulance chasing culture that they are noted for.  Even Judge Lord Justice Jackson says there has been a huge rise in civil litigation costs.  It pinpointed libel and defamation cases being the worst offender of easy money-making by lawyers.  He’s calling for less lawyer involvement, and that a defence of honest opinion to replace fair comment.  If these changes were ever made, it might just go to make free speech a daring thing without lawyers calling things malicious and expressed with malice and not having to prove it. That’s how they do it now, just suggest what was said was malicious and a judge sides with them and rules that it is not in the public interest. The sooner that claim is gone the better.

‘ More Lawyers than Cops shows the speed of the gravy train Leeches ‘

A NEW REPORT has shown that there are more lawyers than police officers now. The reason has been clearly shown to be the pursuit of money and how the solicitors are able to get it.  The No-win no fee situation is a major factor for solicitors who are cashing in on it in a big way.  Firms specializing in litigation are springing up everywhere and it appears they are willing to take on the Justice Secretary and defeat him in order to protect their greed.  What No- Win No-Fee means is that when they win even the feeblest or doubt ridden case which they might not have considered wise, they get the plaintiff a few hundred pounds and claim from the loser several thousand thus making the winner feel good but none the wiser to their nest egg done behind the scenes. The law of course isn’t fair and it has never been so, justice as we have already said can only be claimed by the winner, the profession never intended justice to be seen as a legal outcome they were interested in.  Litigation is a dirty business, and this is where the legal profession really profit — a profit based on misery, and often at the public expense.

‘ The Figures tell it like it is ‘

THE SOLICITORS DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL certainly looks busy as it reaches almost 11,000 lawyers having been summoned before it on various charges of theft, false accounting, misappropriating client money and misuse of accounts, money laundering, forgery, property scams and more. Just in three weeks they are looking at 26 lawyers and one clerk, so to kick things off we will deal with that and set them out on a list below:

THOMAS ROBERT ALLEN, SANJIEV KUMAR KALAIR, MATTHEW JAMES DAVIES, ANDREW W.S. ROBINSON, TIMOTHY C. GRICE, ANDREW JOHN FIELD, TYRONE ANTHONY WALKER, TREVOR GRANT NATHAN, RAJESH SHAH, AMEET K SHARMA, BOMA FLORENCE OZOBIA, OMONE ONOSE PUSEY, YAW F ESHUN, ASHOO DUA, DYLAN RHYS JONES, MARTIN STALLARD BRUFFEL, NATHANIEL B FELTON, ERIC K KABUYE, STEWART P ARNOLD, ERIC DONALD HUNTER, MOHAMMED RIAZ, IAN JAMES ANDERSON, SIMON NIGEL HEDLEY, ANTHONY KYRIACOU, CHUI CHI KELLY CHENG, SAIMA KAUSAR RAZAQ and YOUNIS MOHAMMED – solicitors clerk.

‘ Lawyer’s actions resemble fraud ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP TARBUCK appeared before the tribunal who said that some of his actions bore the resemblance of fraud. Tarbuck was struck off after the panel were presented with evidence of client account misuse and irregular transfers to the office account, and that he had dishonestly failed to deliver files to the client in a conveyance to which the client was entitled to. He was ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

‘ Solicitor struck off after court conviction and jail ‘

LAWYER NAJEF SHAH was struck off by the tribunal after due consideration after hearing that the solicitor was sentenced to one year in prison by the Crown Court. He was found guilty of false representation, serious charges of dishonesty in that he exploited the public purse and furthermore allowed the suspicion to fall on innocent people.  A plea of personal problems failed to mitigate his actions which were a breach of trust. He was ordered to pay costs of £1,331.

‘ Stealing from client accounts solicitor struck off ‘

LAWYER TIMOTHY JOHN SELLERS of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was struck off by the tribunal who heard how he stole from client accounts and made payments from those accounts which were clearly wrong. The tribunal found him dishonest and his plea of defence due to his ailing firm were dismissed. The tribunal ordered him to pay costs of £11,500.

‘ Lawyers fined after suspicions of fraud and money-laundering ‘

SOLICITORS BABATUNDE OSIBODU and KOLAWOLE ATOLAGBE of Kilburn High Road, London, were fined by the tribunal. Osibodu was fined £3,000 and Atolagbe was fined £1,250. The first lawyer was said to have not acted in the best interest of his client (at REGENCY SOLICITORS) and allowed himself to be involved in behaviour which bore the hallmark of money-laundering and mortgage fraud. The second respondent had failed in giving his client advice when he was clearly in a conflict of interests, and entered into a loan agreement knowing his client had not obtained independent advice. They were ordered to pay costs of £17,000.

‘ Solicitor is suspended for one year by tribunal ‘

LAWYER STUART ARTHUR NICHOLSON of Horley in Surrey, a solicitor since 1979, failed to act over a period of four years when his office manager Mr Morris was plundering the accounts.  Theft from his client accounts had been on a massive scale, and he had failed to see that certain transactions were being improperly made to Mr. Morris. Nicholson also failed to remember that he’d appeared before the tribunal in 2000, and this did not impress the present sitting. They accepted he did not have a role in the dishonesty of his mamager, but could not allow the fact that it had gone on four 4 years while he was in charge. He was ordered to pay costs of £8,943.

‘ Tribunal reprimands Lawyer ‘

SOLICITOR MILES COX of London SW10 was said by the tribunal to be in breach of the rules in relation to a conveyancing mistake that resulted in him failing to fulfil duties and carry out an undertaking as required.  The board said the mistake should not have happened at all and he was ordered to pay costs of £4,000.

‘ Solicitor in forged signature is fined £4,000 ‘

LAWYER PAUL APPLEBY of South Shields, Tyne on Wear, assumed power of attorney in the name of a client without their consent or knowledge and went on to conceal the signature in order to deceive the client.  The tribunal said that he acted without integrity, fined him £4,000 and ordered him to pay £4,000 costs.

‘ Lawyers retained cash for their own benefit ‘

SOLICITORS TIMOTHY JOHN BRANTON and PAUL MCQAID-BRIDGE of CRANGLE EDWARDS SOLICITORS at EDge Lane, Stretford, Manchester were fined £5,000 and £3,000 respectively by the tribunal because they had both deliberately and improperly retained cash in their own accounts for their own benefit. The tribunal said the matter was of such a serious breach that a fine had to be given in relation to both solicitors, Branton was ordered to pay costs of £14,000 and Bridge, £6,000.

‘ Solicitor found to have acted without integrity ‘

LAWYER ANGUS ROY BRENTON of the firm HORSEY LIGHTLY FLYNN of West Mills, Newbury was found by the tribunal to have acted without integrity likely to cause distrust with the public.

‘ Lawyer is suspended for two years for misleading clients ‘

SOLICITOR MICHAEL ABRAHAM HARRIS of HARRIS & CO of Osborne Road, Southsea, Hampshire, was said to have provided misleading information to clients in a conveyance, and did not keep proper or accurate accounts. This also included a matter of drafting two wills in which he stood to gain substantial benefits, and made transfers of funds deemed inappropriate by the tribunal. He was suspended for two years.

‘ Delaying Solicitor is fined £5,000 ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS MARK HUMPHREY of POWELL & CO. Coleshill st, Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, was fined £5,000 for breaching the rules that resulted in one charity applying to the court for the inventory and accounts. It was stated that Humphrey found it hard to comply with the adjudicator’s directions, and was used to causing too many delays especially in the handling of 10 beneficiaries in relation to financial matters. He was ordered to pay costs of £1,978.

‘ Kidnapping Lawyer fails in his appeal ‘

SOLICITOR JONATHAN KELSHAM PHILIPS was refused when he applied to have his suspension of 2008 lifted by the tribunal. Apart from not paying the costs related to the 2008 case, he’d been convicted of kidnapping and two counts of common assault by the court.  He was ordered to pay £1,400 costs.

‘ Dishonest Solicitor is struck off by tribunal ‘

LAWYER AYGUN SAHIN of Holloway, London N4 was struck off because she acted dishonestly, misappropriated cash paid in by clients and misled the firm of DUNCAN LEWIS by fabricating letters to make it look like a certain matter had been publicly funded when it was not.  Her misconduct had gone on for some period of time before it was discovered. She was ordered to pay costs of £11,252.

‘ Lawyer in immigration situation is fined ‘

SOLICITOR BARBARA VERONICA WALTON of S.E.London was fined £5,000 by the tribunal when they found three charges proved in relation to Asylum and Immigration failures. She was ordered to pay costs of £18,000

‘ Solicitor appears again before the tribunal is suspended ‘

LAWYER ISIN VAHIB of London, was suspended for 12 months over a matter of improper use of client accounts and general failures under the solicitors rules and administration showing to exercise proper care. They reminded her that she had appeared before in 2009 which led to a penalty of £5,000 being imposed. She had not complied with the previous order. She was ordered to pay costs of 37,402.

‘ Somerset Lawyer in false claims for expenses ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN PAUL ALLINSON of Somerset, was fined £5,000 because he made false claims for expenses. The lawyer, a senior partner at his firm amended documents so that they were false which was misconduct within the profession said the tribunal. He was ordered to pay costs of £12,000.

‘ Misconduct by Solicitors earns them a fine ‘

LAWYERS MICHAEL JAMES CONNELL and BARRY JAMES SHARPLES of CONNELL ASSOCIATES in Dale St, Liverpool, were each fined £20,000 for Connell and £10,000 for Sharples in relation to misconduct in that they had taken unfair advantage and failed to give accurate information as to their costs. They were ordered to pay costs of £7,000.

‘ Injury Compensation Lawyers in £5million payout ‘

A report into lawyers milking the compensation scam has revealed that Stoke-on-Trent Council,  Staffordshire County Council and Cheshire East Council have paid out £4m from their insurers to individuals making claims through touting solicitor firms. On top of this was £4.7million paid out to the law firms in ‘expenses’  In one case they paid £17 to one man and on top of that was the bill for solicitors – £2,840. One hundred and sixty seven times more than the award!!  Another man received £4,250 for his injury while the solicitors picked up £18,000. One other got £4,000 for a bone injury and the lawyers picked up £23,000. This shows that the no win no fee solicitors are on the increase just like their bills.

‘ Disciplinary Tribunal to investigate ACS Solicitors ‘

ACS SOLICITORS –LAWYER ANDREW CROSSLEY –is now under the attention of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal who are setting a date to consider complaints made about Crossley who has been accused of intimidation by many complainants.  It was stated that he pressured certain parties into paying damages for copyright infringements and filing lawsuits against some who did not respond.  The report says ACS has shutdown and Crossley has gone into hiding?  The tribunal are said to be considering a ‘full hearing’ due to the activities of his firm.

‘ RLP -Retail Loss Prevention accused of Improper Conduct ‘

Legal firm ‘ debt recovery and claims’ have been accused of Aggressive and Improper conduct when going after people on behalf of clients without taking in the full facts or making sure they had the right people. They have been accused of harassment and threats which has motivated an investigation into the firm.

‘ Ministry of Justice plan to cut legal aid to many ‘

The Law Society urged that Barristers fees should be capped at £250,000 in the light of news by the Ministry of Justice making plans to reduce the legal aid, which will undoubtedly hit the poor — making legal aid unavailable for many areas of civil law such as medical negligence and divorce proceedings.  Chief Executive of the Law Society Desmond Hudson pointed at ‘criminal barristers’ who get the most from legal aid.

‘ Solicitors fined over Improper Conduct ‘

LAWYERS ARIF MEHMOOD ELAHI and ABID KHOKHER MEHMOOD of Chingford Essex, were found guilty of improper withdrawals from client accounts which exceeded money held. They were also found guilty of failing to keep accurate records. The first solicitor was fined £8,000 and the second solicitor fined £3,000 by the tribunal anmd were ordered to pay costs of £5,011 and £1,800.

‘ Lawyer sentenced to 4 years in prison ‘

SOLICITOR MOHAMMED JAHANGIR residing at Sudbury HMP , Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in April 2009 was convicted at Bradford Crown Court of being involved with the acquisition and control of criminal property. He was sentenced to four years in jail for ‘ property crime’ — fraudulent transactions amounted to £791,593.63. The Judge was amazed at the sophisticated system of meticulous organised crime and identity theft. People’s property had been stolen, and they had great difficulty in persuading the Land Registry that they were the owners due to the solicitor’s actions.

‘ Solicitor suspended indefinitely ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL EDWARD FRENCH of the firm MICHAEL FRENCH & BOOTH HEARN, 50-52, High St, Chatham in Kent, was suspended for an indefinite period by the tribunal. The board said there were failures in accounting systems which could not be overlooked easily. He was ordered to pay costs of £10,021.

‘ Milton Keynes Lawyer is fined £9,000 ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD PELHAM JEPSON of ALAN SMEATH & CO. High St, Woburn Sands, was fined £9,000 by the tribunal who heard that the lawyer failed to disclose information to the client (lender in conveyance transaction) and signed a certificate of title knowing the content to be incorrect, therefore acting recklessly. Three transactions were looked at by the tribunal court. He was ordered to pay costs of £17,500.

‘ Solicitors fined over employment of struck off bankrupt colleague ‘

LAWYERS JOHN LEYSHAM and GEORGE ELLIS K SIMPSON of Birmingham, were fined £2,500 each. Leysham employed Solicitor Mr. Turner, formerly bankrupt and in need of a practising certificate. They had not sought permission from the board before employing him, and no permission had been granted by the Society in respect of Mr. Turner.  They were ordered to pay costs of £7,250.

‘ Lawyer fined over clerk’s breach of the rules ‘

SOLICITOR BINA MAISTY of ABM SOLICITORS Station Rd, Hayes, Middlesex, appeared before the disciplinary tribunal for failing to supervise the clerk, NAINA AHMED, and was fined £2,000. The tribunal were presented with five transactions as evidence, carried out by the clerk. They were ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

‘ Gross Recklessness Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER STEPHEN PETER DAVID MURRELL of London.E14, appeared before the tribunal for misuse of client accounts, a breach of FSA rules in connection with unauthorised land banking, and caused the loss of substantial money to some investors who found their leases worthless. The tribunal found him guilty of gross recklessness and that he pursued profit above all else, giving no thought to those who had lost as a result of his actions. He was ordered to pay costs of 342,180.

‘ One Lawyer struck off — One Fined ‘

ROMFORD SOLICITORS KOFOWOEOLA OBUTOLU and AKPEUWE VANESSA EMUAKPOR were said to have misused and utilised client accounts for their own use, failed to follow client instructions, failed to keep proper records and act with a manner not in keeping with the standards required. OBUTOLU was struck off and the second lawyer fined £5,000 as the board said as she was a partner in the firm she should shoulder some of the blame. Costs against the first respondent were £30,000 and the second respondent £10,000.

‘ Solicitors mislead and act dishonestly ‘

LAWYERS OF DENTON SOLICITORS, South Woodford came under fire at the tribunal as to their misconduct and failure to be truthful with investigators. Solicitor ABBOT OZUZU and Solicitor EZENNIE DENTON OGBUEHI were accused of sending a misleading communicate to the investigation officer, failing to to give information to their insurers, and the matter of the second solicitor practicing without a certificate following a suspension. That solicitor was involved in professional misconduct as he was cautioned at Ilford Police Station for assault by beating, and failed to pass this information to the insurers. Both solicitors were struck off for dishonesty and ordered to pay costs of £15,000 and £17,000 respectively. Their clerk JOYCE BRISSETT who was cited in the hearing was not held to be implicated directly.

‘ Conflict of Interests Lawyer is Fined £8,000 ‘

SOLICITOR LLOYD G. RICHARDS of Birmingham, was found to have used his position as solicitor to take advantage of another to benefit his client. The tribunal said this was a clear case of a conflict of interests and they ordered that he should not be allowed to pracitice on his own without supervision.

‘ Solicitor Suspended for 4 Years ‘

LAWYER CARL RICHARD CHAPMAN of Rochdale, Lancashire, appeared before the tribunal charged with making withdrawals from client accounts when there was insufficient funds held on the ledgers. The board found their were shortfalls on the client accounts of £12,000. They said this was reckless conduct and suspended him for four years, plus costs of £23,828.

‘ Three Lawyers plead guilty to account breaches ‘

SOLICITORS SIMON BRODIE BASS, GILES DUNCAN WARD and JOANNE IRENE PERRING all of MILNERS SOLICITORS, Crown House, George St, Leeds, appeared before the tribunal in relation to transferring money from client accounts and withdrawals from those accounts that were improper.  The first respondent was fined £10,000, the second respondent fined £10,000, and the trainee solicitor Perring – £5,000. The costs against the first two were £20,000 and £5,000 for the trainee.

‘Solicitor of 45 years is suspended and one other reprimanded ‘

LAWYER WENDELL TRICK ARNOLD of Swansea was suspended for 18 months by the tribunal because he claimed he was ‘ buying time ‘ to get things right.  The board heard how their was a failure to keep to the rules, failure to pay insurers and a failure to protect clients, which was not acceptable. The second solicitor was reprimanded as it was up to Arnold to have kept things in check the board said. He was ordered to pay costs of £9,000 and she, the second respondent – £1,000.

‘ Overcharging, misuse of client accounts Lawyers are struck off ‘

SOLICITORS ENDY OKOYE and DAVID LARYEA of Kingston, Surrey, were both struck off by the tribunal after hearing that they mismanaged and misused client accounts, failed to return client money promptly, overcharged clients — no justification for high charges relating to telephone calls, copying and postage. Neither did they offer a valid explanation justifying how such costs were incurred. They also failed to disclose information to mortgage clients and behave with integrity. They were ordered to pay costs of £40,000.

‘ Arrogant Solicitor who did not cooperate is struck off ‘

LAWYERS STUART GEMMELL MCPHAIL and IVAN EDWIN BOEMES of Wingrove, Buckinghamshire, were dealt with sharply by the tribunal who were not amused with their conduct, especially the first respondent.  He failed to cooperate with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, pay out on bills, practised without a certificate, and showed remorse when arrogantly leaving his partner out of pocket to the tune of £3,566. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £8,000. Boemes was found guilty of misleading lending clients and was ordered to pay costs of £2,000.

‘ Disgraced expenses Barrister and Peer is Jailed for 12 months ‘

BARRISTER AND HOUSE OF LORDS PEER LORD TAYLOR was sentenced to one year in prison for his part in the huge ‘ expenses fraud’ that rocked the Labour Government.  Southwark Crown Court found him guilty of swindling the taxpayer out of more than £11,000 in false claims for expenses. He was found guilty on six counts of dishonesty, making fraudulent claims and lies to cover up his offences.

‘ State School spends £200,000 of taxpayers money on libel lawyers ‘

The state-funded Durand Academy School in Lambeth, South London, has engaged PLMR legal team, better known as the infamous CARTER-RUCK, who we have featured before, to silence its critics Lambeth Council over three e-mails sent by the council’s auditor who raised concerns about the management of the school.  And strangely enough, and this is something we have found out in other cases, the vice-chairman of the Academy Kevin Craig is the Managing Director of PLMR – Carter-Ruck? — the case is to go before the High Court.

‘ Portsmouth Solicitors feature in Accident scam Programme by BBC ‘

SOLICITORS ANDREW & ANDREW of North End, Portsmouth were featured in the Panorama ‘ Insurance and Accident Scam ‘ programme that was investigating the astronomical car accident claims and compensation claims that were costing motorists so much.  Bogus accidents were being manufactured and claims seized upon by NO WIN NO FEE lawyers. It appeared that texts, illegal texts were appearing on victim’s phones just after an accident? and if it was followed it led to solicitors, and it was said it was an offence by solicitors to track down and use phone texts. One such call to the team ‘set up ‘ led to solicitors Andrew and Andrew, who later claimed they had an arrangement with certain parties, but that they hadn’t condoned the texting or been party to it.

‘ Rich Solicitors battle with TV star neighbour over plans for two swimming pools ‘

Solicitors Jeremy and Jessica Sokel found that neighbour John Alderton (Please Sir! TV personality) objected when they had plans to install two swimming pools beneath their properties. They had bought the house next to Alderton for £2million and then demolished it entirely to build a new one in its place of a more modern design. Then they bought the house next to them for £1.5million intent on knocking that down and replacing it with a modern one. This is when they intended on putting in two pools five meters below the gardens. Alderton managed to block the first application but lost on the latter. What this case also shows is the amazing amount of money these lawyers can not only spend, but easily come by in this profession that milks the taxpayer/public.

‘ Legal Aid Barristers and Law Society who want their fees capped ‘

AROUND 500 BARRISTERS earn more than the Prime Minister’s Salary according the Law Society who are urging the Ministry to cap fees.  A state-subsidised Barrister can often make £800,000 from legal aid criminal cases it is said.  Civil Law cases barristers can grab around £600,000, especially in the secretive family law courts.  One in every 30 of Britain’s 15,000 barristers earns more than £142,000. We featured this kind of thing earlier in our Legal Aid Scam piece and even then they said it was going to be addressed, but as we can see here, that given time to get it out of the press, they can slide back into the old ways, and improve things by getting a lot more.

‘ Bradford Solicitor is Suspended ‘

LAWYER TASLIM KHAN of Bradford, West Yorkshire, withdrew money from client accounts and failed to reply to letters from concerned clients. The tribunal also found that proper account procedures were not being followed. Claims for compensation by clients totalled £520,813.  Costs were £9000.

‘ Lawyer is struck off in dishonesty case ‘

SOLICITOR DENISE ELAINE GAMMACK of Exeter, Devon, was struck off for misleading clients, misleading the firm in regard to three cases and in one particular, the client suffered greatly as a result of her misleading statements and failure to provide the professional service expected. She was ordered to pay costs of £10,669.

‘ Solicitor’s actions cause great concern and disquiet ‘

LAWYER DANIEL DRUKARZ was accused of making a claim for costs which he could not justify, and one of dishonesty by the applicant to the tribunal. The members said the case had been viewed with the greatest concern and disquiet. Drukarz blamed it all on his poor book-keeping.

‘ Lawyer is fined amid suggestions of Professional misconduct ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP ASHLEY CHAPMAN of York, was fined £10,000 for a breach of practice amounting to professional misconduct said the tribunal.   They said he provided a poor service and failed to deal with complaints. One of his staff was under investigation by the SDT with various allegations made out against him, but Chapman employed him to handle a client’s affairs resulting in anger from the North Yorkshire Authority urging the firm to respond in their client’s interest.  Chapman was ordered to pay costs of £12,000.

‘ Misappropriation Solicitors — one fined, one struck off ‘

LAWYERS MOHAMMED AFTAB and ZAHID AZIZSHEIKH of RICHARD NELSON SOLICITORS, The Courtyard, Warwick Rd, Solihull, appeared before the tribunal accused of serious failings.  Aftab was fined £3,000 and the second lawyer Azizsheikh was struck off as they had both misappropriated money and filed false and misleading information. Azizsheikh was struck off the register of foreign lawyers, as his conduct had been dishonest. They had both failed to act with integrity the tribunal said. The first lawyer was ordered to pay costs of £6,557 and the second, £19,673.

‘ Disappearing money, Lawyer is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR ASABE GEORGINA ADEYEMO of Barnet, North London. Failed to comply with undertakings given by her, and failed to act with the best interests of her client.  Client monies had mysteriously disappeared and she’d failed to carry out a legal conveyance to the standard required.  Allegations of misconduct were numerous and she could not give an explanation to the mysterious disappearance of client cash. She was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £12,509.

‘ Solicitors act recklessly and breach the rules ‘

LAWYER COLIN DAVID POOLE of FIRM LEGAL SOLICITORS in Dorrington, Shropshire was struck off for falsely represented fees, acting dishonestly and recklessly. He’d transferred money from client accounts to the office account in respect of fees to which he was not entitled. He was ordered to pay costs of £100,000.

SECOND RESPONDENT LAWYER JAKE P.C. BENNETT of BENNETTS SOLICITORS, Westmead, Farnborough, was similarly accused, but the board dropped charges of deceit and dishonesty against him as he admitted breaching the rules and was fined £5,000. He was ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ Serious Reprimand for Lawyer who misused client accounts ‘

SOLICITOR SUSAN JUNE MCCULLOCH of FRANCIS & HOW SOLICITORS, Botley House, East St, Chesham, Bucks, appeared before the tribunal for misuse of client accounts and withdrawing excess cash from those accounts.  They said she also failed to keep proper accounts. She was ordered to pay costs of £3,500.

‘ Solicitor enters guilty plea to two charges ‘

LAWYER LIAQAT ALI was prosecuted for representing Immigration cases by the OISC and pleaded guilty in regard to two charges. The lawyer from CHURCHILL’S SOLICITORS was ordered to pay costs of £1,500.

‘ Experienced Lawyers fail to safeguard clients interests ‘

SOLICITORS ANDREW DUDLEY PINNELL and STEPHEN ANDREW HYETT of London N12, were each fined £2,500 by the tribunal for account failures and failing clients by having no insurance in place, which was a breach of the rules. Pinnell had 15years experience as a lawyer, and Hyett had 40 years behind him. They were ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.

‘ Collusion over accounts lands two solicitors before tribunal ‘

LAWYERS ROBERT HENRY FESTENSTEIN and BRYAN HYLTON SLATER found themselves appearing before the tribunal charged with misuse of client accounts. The Manchester solicitors – Festenstein in particular, had allowed client money to be paid into Slater’s personal account. He Slater, had also appeared before the tribunal on two previous occasions, and had been fined £4,000, and then £3,000, and was back again. The tribunal decided to have Slater struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £10,000. Festenstein was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs.

‘ Lawyer suspended for 3 months over misleading third parties ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD STEPHEN BRICKLEY of Bath, was suspended for three months when he appeared before the tribunal.  It was said that he paid office expenses with client funds. had failures in upholding proper accounts procedures, made misleading representations to third parties, which he admitted which he knew were inaccurate and untrue.  He was required to pay costs of £24,051.

‘ Solicitor takes 18 years to complete probate on estate is suspended ‘

LAWYER GUY WILKINSON CHOAT of G.W.Choat & Co. Gillingham, Suffolk, was suspended for three years by the tribunal for failing miserably in one estate probate by taking 18 years to complete it.  He started it in 1993, and there followed themes of broken promises and inaction, that was all too common, resulting in a very poor service to clients. He was ordered to pay costs of £7,448.

‘ Imprisoned Lawyer is prohibited from re-entry to the roll ‘

SOLICITOR JITENDRA SHARMA at HMP Highpoint, Newmarket, Suffolk was prevented and denied being re-instated on the solicitors roll by the tribunal. The solicitor was convicted of deception, possessing false or improperly obtained documents, conspiracy to defraud, possession of criminal property and the proceeds of a crime. He was sentenced to 7 years.  The tribunal ordered him to pay costs of £1,121.

‘ Suspension for Solicitor who ignored the Legal Complaints Service ‘

LAWYER DESMOND JAMES CORLIS was suspended indefinitely for ignoring the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority.  It was his third appearance, and the tribunal said that he should not be allowed to practice on his own. he was ordered to pay costs of £7,696.

‘ Lawyers in serious trouble – suspension and employment restriction ‘

SOLICITORS KEITH MALCOLM HURST and CHRISTINE BUCKLEY of Cheshire, failed in many respects and well below the professional standards required, said the tribunal when they suspended Hurst for 3 years and restricted the employment for Buckley. Hurst had appeared before on a matter of misappropriating £8,863.76. This time he’d failed to advise the SRA of his bankruptcy, failed to act in his clients interests, failed to attend the proper closure of his firm, failed to pay client money into the client account, failed to keep an account of withdrawals from those accounts as required, failed to account to a client in respect of money from their estate. He had improperly acted for both the lender and buyer and seller in the same conveyance transaction. Buckley had misappropriated client funds and facilitated incorrect entries into the accounts. Hurst was ordered to pay £72,284 costs, and Buckley was ordered to pay costs of £8,500.

‘ Solicitor is struck off after acting dishonestly ‘

LAWYER ANDREW HERBERT WETTERN of PETERS & PETERS SOLICITORS, 15, Fetters Lane, London EC4, was struck off by the tribunal after hearing that he acted in a conflict of interests, acted improperly, dishonestly caused false documentation to be placed on the firm’s files, and failed to disclose to the firm the personal payments he’d received from clients.  He had been a solicitor since 1981, with 30 years experience.

‘ Lawyer admits to improper registrations of land ‘

SOLICITOR JOANNE KAREN WALLER of Liverpool, admitted to the tribunal that she had made improper registrations to the Land Registry concerning numerous flats. She was ordered to pay costs of £1,294.

‘ Solicitor misled insurers and lacked integrity ‘

LAWYER ABUL HASNATH UDDIN appeared before the tribunal charged with misleading the insurers relating to changes within his firm. The board said that he failed to act with integrity which was regrettable.

‘ Lawyers in account breaches are fined and suspended ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD J.TINKLER of Ipswich was fined £40,000 by the tribunal after hearing nine serious allegations against him. SOLICITOR RODNEY KEMP of Wareham, Dorset, was suspended for 2 years. The 3rd SOLICITOR JANIE HAYWARD of Middleton, Suffolk was ordered to pay costs of £28,000. The case concerned improper use of client accounts, misleading clients and serious account breaches. Tinkler was ordered to pay costs of £4,000, and Kemp was ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

‘ Solicitor ordered to pay compensation and fined ‘

LAWYER ROBERT GEOFFREY STONE of London SW15 failed to keep clients informed and was accused of ineffectual behaviour by the tribunal. There were 4 formal complaints made against him on separate occasions.  He was also ordered by the Adjudicator to pay compensation, of which £39,000 had been deposited for the beneficiaries. Stone was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,000.

‘ Lawyer struck off and one suspended over payments ‘

SOLICITORS ELIZABETH MILNES and MATTHEW K SPROSTON of M & S LEGAL SOLICITORS, Witton St, Northwich, Cheshire, appeared before the tribunal. Milnes was charged with making cash payments directly to Sproston at a time when he was a bankrupt, she had also employed Sproston who misled a court. Milnes was ordered to be struck off even though a suspension was considered and ordered to pay costs of £12,000. Sproston had his certificate suspended due to bankruptcy.

‘ Solicitor takes cash from client accounts ‘

LAWYER GARY PAUL LEECH of Bromley, Kent, was struck off by the tribunal after hearing that he had made improper withdrawals from client accounts, and failed to undertake post-completion work on a conveyance transaction. One charge of dishonesty was dropped due to lack of proof. He was ordered to pay costs of £12,400.

‘ Lawyer is struck off over account shortages ‘

SOLICITOR TERENCE JEFFREY SOPEL of London NW1 was said to have caused or allowed a cash shortage to arise in the client accounts to the amount of £35,020, and made overpayments and over-transfers from client accounts to the office account to the sum of £12,590 and shown a conflict of interests in certain transactions. The solicitor of 34 years experience was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £17,500.

‘ Lawyers in porn club shred the evidence before police raid ‘

A GROUP OF EIGHT SOLICITORS AND TWO BARRISTERS are said to have rushed to their firm as undercover journalist uncovers certain letters and photos, plus e-mails and gallery collections marked in a ‘ private and confidential folder’ gets wrongly sent by mistake.  Our PI Richard travelled to the North after a tip-off and met up with the reporter who works for a local Gazette.  The man ‘x’ who doesn’t want to be named due to all the furore over phone hacking, says he happened to get onto the case when his wife’s sister received an attachment on an e-mail that she wasn’t expecting, although she was being advised by the solicitors firm on another matter. The reporter was amazed to find the file was not encrypted, which is usual, and on opening it he discovered messages to each solicitor and two barristers urging caution on storage, and under age material hidden by the more acceptable adult porn which was being used as a smokescreen. But folders within folders marked ‘ old material for archive — do not delete ‘ revealed the child porn stuff.  Unfortunately his wife’s sister called the firm to say she had been given an attachment…and a day later she opened an e-mail from the company and her computer suffered a sudden virus attack that disabled the word and office programme. The Reporter approached a cop who he knew, who made enquiries and was told that the solicitors firm denied having any such material, but they would after the virus incident of a client, and the several days they had to discard the evidence.

‘ SOLICITORS ARE SUSPENDED OVER DOCUMENTATION ‘

LAWYERS MANOJ KUMAR AGGAR and PARVEZ AKTHER of AKTHER & DARBY SOLICITORS, Bradford Street, Walsall, West Midlands, were suspended after the tribunal heard that they did not act in the best interests of the client. They failed to disclose information to the client, and signed documents known to be incorrect.  Parvez it was stated was now appearing before the tribunal for the second time. On his first appearance he was charged with 18 allegations and was fined £15,000.  They were jointly ordered to pay costs of £27,000.

‘ NON-COMPLIANCE LAWYER IS FINED £7,000 ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN AYODELE DA ROCHA-AFODU a lawyer at HELMBRIDGE SOLICITORS, Suite 209, Island Business Centre, Wellington Street, London. SE1. Acted in a conflict of interests the tribunal said in their deliberations, he had not complied with a payment date in regard to a loan by Mr. Adenyi for two and a half years. The solkicitor was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,000.

‘ SOLICITORS WITH TROUBLES AND FICTITIOUS CLIENT ‘

LAWYERS OLUMBUNMI DAWADO and OLUFEMI AGBESANWA of HACKMAN SOLICITORS, High Road, Wembley were fined by the Disciplinary tribunal. Dawado had deposited client money into her own personal account. Agbesanwa had failed to notify his lender material information, and failed to report the circumstances that led to a serious consequence as it transpired that the firm’s purchaser client, Mr W. was fictitious and that there had been a default on the mortgage. Dawado was fined £500, and Agbesanwa was fined £2,500….the first respondent paid costs of £2,000 and the second £7,000.

‘ LAWYER SUSPENDED FOR 18 MONTHS ‘

SOLICITOR OLUKAYODE OGUNNAIKE of Slough appeared before the tribunal and it was said that he had been misleading the members of the firm, failed to record all dealings relating to a client account and client money. There was also an irregular use of the firm’s office account. The tribunal said he posed as a danger to the public and suspended him for 18 months. He was ordered to pay costs of £9,500.

‘ FINED SOLICITORS FAILED TO MEET CLIENTS NEEDS ‘

LAWYERS OLUFEMI JOSHUA and ADEBIMPE FEMI-GUREJE were accused of breaking the solicitors practice rules, – They charged inappropriately, and failed to provide information details to clients in a mortgage conveyance. The first solicitor was fined £500, and the second – £1,500. They were jointly ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

‘ LAWYER LACKS INTEGRITY ‘

SOLICITOR MOHAMMED KASVJEE from Walsall in the West Midlands, was fined £4,000 by order of the tribunal as he had not shown the proper integrity towards client dealings, and failed to inform clients when it was required of him, and expected by the client.  He was ordered to pay costs of £6,000.

‘ UNAUTHORISED SOLICITOR IS FINED ‘

LAWYER ATIQUR REHMAN AHMED of Ark Solicitors in Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, was fined £2,000 by the Disciplinary Tribunal for irregular and unauthorised practice as a sole practitioner when communicating to the public he represented something different. He failed to respond to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in an open and prompt way which amounted to misconduct. He was ordered to pay costs of £4,152.

‘ LAWYERS IN LAW FIRM UP BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL ‘

SOLICITORS ANTHONY IAN BAPTIST, RICHARD LYLE BENZ, PAUL DANIEL TAYLOR and RICHARD WILD of Kidd Rapinet Solicitors, of Craven St, London WC2  appeared before the tribunal over transactions that amounted to a conflict of interests. Baptist was fined £4,000, Taylor £4,000 and Wild £4,000 it was felt that Benz did not play a major part.

‘ SOLICITOR IN MISUSE OF ACCOUNTS IS FINED ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL A BISHOP of B & G Solicitors, Dollis Mews, London N.3 was fined £5,000 after he was found guilty of a breach of office accounts and client monies. There was also the more serious breach that he permitted the firm’s client account to be used as a banking facility for clients. He was ordered to pay costs of £13,115.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYER IS SUSPENDED FOR 6 MONTHS ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD PAUL BLOCK of Essex, was suspended for six months by the tribunal after he dishonestly misled the Legal Complaints Service. The tribunal took this to be a serious matter and one that he should not repeat. They said it interfered with a solicitor’s ability to practice. He was ordered to pay costs of £4,000.

‘ SOLICITOR QUITS AFTER BEING GIVEN 2 YEARS SUSPENSION ‘

LAWYER CHRISTINE BILLANY of Hexham, Northumberland, was suspended by the Tribunal for a period of two years. It was said that she did not co-operate with the SRA in a proper way and did not act in her client’s best interests. She also failed to run the firm in a good operative way and failed to close down the practice in a proper manner.  She was ordered to pay costs of £7,569.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYER DECEIVES PARTNERS IN LAW FIRM ‘

SOLICITOR RICHARD HESLOP of RJHESLOP-GILL, Victoria Street, 36, South Parade, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was struck off by the tribunal who heard testimony accusing the solicitor of dishonestly misleading clients, dishonestly signing a form to say he had witnessed a client’s signature when he had not, withdrew money from the client account, and told clients he’d been successful in litigation cases that had never commenced, and deceived partners at the firm. The tribunal said these acts had compromised his integrity. He was ordered to pay costs of £12,667.

‘ IMPROPER USE OF ACCOUNTS HAS SOLICITOR BEING STRUCK OFF ‘

LAWYER SIMON JOHN HOLBORN of Hull, in North Humberside, appeared before the Disciplinary Tribunal and was charged with dishonestly acting in breach of the Solicitor’s Rules.  It was sad he made improper withdrawals from client accounts and failed to co-operate with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It was revealed that he took the client money to prop up the ailing firm. He was ordered to pay costs of £23,000.

‘ INDEFINITE SUSPENSION FOR LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW JOHN PINDER of Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, was accused of failing to comply with the Solicitor’s Practice Regulations by the Tribunal. They ordered that he should be suspended for an indefinite period. He was ordered to pay costs of £1,289.

‘ SOLICITOR TRIES TO BEND THE RULES AND IS FINED ‘

LAWYER PREMJI NARAN PATEL of ALLIANCE SOLICITORS, 595, Kenton Road, Harrow, Middlesex, was fined £7,500 after appearing before the tribunal. It was said that he permitted his client bank account to be utilised by a third party and pay out monies where there was no real legal transactions. This involved the buying of foreign cars, a scheme that a conventional bank turned down because of a lack of trust. The tribunal decided that the fine would act as a deterrent and ordered him to pay costs of £20,000.

‘ APPLICATION REFUSED ON STRUCK-OFF LAWYER ‘

SOLICITOR DEENESH BABULAL THAKERAR of Edgeware, Middlesex, was refused his practice certificate by the tribunal who heard that he’d been struck off for having previously ben found guilty of dishonestly swearing out an affidavit which was false and misleading, failing to discllose information to the client, drawn money from client accounts, acted improperly and dishonestly misapplied stakeholder funds.  The tribunal dismissed his application and ordered him to pay costs of £1,094.

‘ SOLICITOR BEHAVES IN MANNER LIKELY TO DIMINISH PUBLIC TRUST ‘

LAWYER ANDREW REEVES of Wokingham, appeared before the tribunal accused of failing to comply with an adjudicator’s decision in that he failed to deliver his accounts according to set guidelines, and behaved in a manner likely to diminish the trust of the public. He was ordered to pay costs of £3,500.

‘ LAWYERS ARE ALL FINED IN FIRM ‘

FOUR SOLICITORS — ZAHEER HASHMI, ABDUL JANJI, AMIR MAHMOOD and MUHAMMED NAWAZ in Morden, Surrey, were all fined by the tribunal.  It was said they failed to act in the best interest of their clients. The first three solicitors were fined £1,000 each, whereas the fourth lawyer was fined £3,250 as he had given his client in a mortgage inaccurate and misleading advice. The firm was ordered to pay jointly costs of £20,000.

‘ SOLICITORS UP BEFORE TRIBUNAL ‘

LAWYERS THOMAS ROBERT ALLEN and SANJEEV KUMAR KALAIR were both appearing before the tribunal after misleading lenders and signing compliance certificates when the firm had not complied as per the rules and practice notes of 2008 relating to fraud. The SDT said the transactions bore the hallmarks of fraud and alarm bells should have sounded.  Allen of Bishops Court, Eccleshall, Staffordshire was reprimanded, and Kalair of 33 Overfields Drive, Bilston was fined £1000. They were ordered to pay costs of  £2,000 for Allen and £8,000 for Kalair.

‘ LAWYER FINED OVER POOR SERVICE TO CLIENT ‘

SOLICITOR  MARTIN S BRUFFELL of The Wells, Frensham, Farnham in Surrey, pleaded ill health when he appeared before the tribunal. It was heard that he failed to deal with complaints and failed to give an adequate and proper service to his client, and respond adequately to the SRA.  He was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ IMPROPER WITHDRAWALS SOLICITORS FINED ‘

LAWYERS STEPHEN MAURICE FIDLER and ANDREW JOHN BOLTON appeared before a tribunal on charges that they misused client accounts and made improper withdrawals. They also failed to carry out proper reconciliation. Fidler from London was fined £5,000, and Bolton of CORPER SOLICITORS in London was fined £1,000. They were ordered to pay joint costs of £17,500.

‘ Trainee Lawyers not that bothered by ethics or law ‘

Having managed to obtain the papers of an undergraduate who made a very large survey into Law students at four major Universities, we can now condense and reveal those findings.  He said that mingling with the law trainees in the student bars at the union gave him more info that he wanted, and some of it was surprisingly frank and not in tune with the profession they were keen to be employed in.  A great many of those, and the researcher had taken 3 years to get the answers from — as he said ‘ a few thousand, not hundreds’ Many to some degree had smoked cannabis (and taken tablets LSD and Amphetamines)  and were still doing so, claiming ‘ It’s not really a crime is it? there’s too much effort being put into denying us a bit of weed ‘ many admitted to weekly booze ups at the Union Bar and then going into town by car despite being over the limit. Some of them told of how they fiddled the system and fabricated forms in order to make their backgrounds look a little better to prospective law firms. An amazing ‘ few’ admitted to having been done in the courts for minor offences, but wouldn’t mention it to any employer. Some found studying rather tedious and opted to copy from someone else or ‘borrow’ the work having plagiarised it (a study we mentioned earlier brought this point up – law student cheats). Many said they did, and were okay on breaking ‘minor infringements of law ‘ if it didn’t get in the way of a lucrative career.  A few weren’t bothered as they said ‘ Daddy or a relative has already got me a position in a firm when I finish my studies and get the degree ‘ The researcher said ‘ That only a surprisingly few were actually dedicated to the law itself or how it affected people. Most of them talked about the earnings, homes and swimming pools and what the profession could get them. It was all about money, nothing about law, that was just a means of getting to it quicker. Most of them said they didn’t want to end up by being like ‘ the Oinks! ‘ — ordinary workers who worked for a pittance. One said amongst fellow law students rather brashfully, ‘ It helps if you can lie well, that puts you in a good position if you defend someone in court, well, it helps in anything really.’

‘ Discipline Club for Lawyers gets whiff of police interest ‘

Maureen Tyler who runs a discreet club for solicitors and judiciary called ‘ Law and Disorder ‘ in South London said she had to cancel when a police informer at her local station rang her to say the vice squad might be turning up unannounced. Miss Tyler said she had to turn the five solicitors who’d booked in for spanking and caning sessions away as they were reluctant to give contact numbers, but booked leaving the customary fee in advance.  She said ‘ As they want secrecy I made the rule that they paid for the full session when they booked it, and if they didn’t turn up I still got paid and they lost out ‘  —  She said that a friend helped her out plus a male disciplinarian for some of the members who’d rather have a man deal with them. She said she had up to 36 solicitors and three barristers regularly visit every month, some for school sessions, some for dominance sessions and some even liked to be sentenced to hard canings and kept in the ‘small room ‘ that resembled a cell.  ‘ We did have a judge for a while, he wanted to be birched, so he had to bring one. He’d come by train and when he arrived at the door he had a small rolled up carpet which had two birches that he’d made…you could actually see what they were bits of twig were sticking out. As far as we know he’d been to Eton School in his early days, Mr B. would deal with him. It’s not a bad business, and we get more of them all the time, and they’re good payers ‘ she said as she laughed. We were told on the night of the closure only one cop turned up, and he got a freebie!

‘ Greedy Lawyers continue to put up motor insurance for drivers ‘

Inconsiderate and unscrupulous solicitors continue to chase motor claims, accidents spiralling the compensation culture in order to benefit from financial gains at the ordinary motorists expense; costing drivers huge rises in motor premiums.  More and more legal firms appear on the TV encouraging claims, claims that are not always what they seem to be, as this has now led to bogus crash and accident scenes played out by criminals who have been quick to catch on to this lawyer-motivated get-rich-quick scam. They are actively or passively causing the young driver to be uninsurable as the annual insurance rate surges to highs not within the earnings of most of the lower paid which in turn leads to criminal offences, of which lawyers benefit yet again.

‘ 16 Months jail for Solicitor ‘

LAWYER JAMES PEASEGOOD was struck off the solicitors roll for misuse of client accounts and money. It was said that the Solicitors Complaints Bureau should not have granted the lawyer a practising certificate after he failed to file proper accounts and it should have inspected them for itself. The Law Society claimed it was a one of incident and had no global significance. it was also accused of climbing down over the £31,000 claim, the law society had claimed £61,000 when Peasegood was cited for bankruptcy.

‘ Henley Lawyer jailed over Drugs Connection ‘

SOLICITOR JAMES THORBURN-MUIRHEAD was jailed for a total of 16 months. The lawyer of THORBURN & CO, Oxfordshire, had been linked to Drug Trafficker Steven Smith.  He was charged with 10 counts of theft, false accounting and one count of money-laundering. He was ordered to pay £12,666 in a compensation order and prosecution costs of £25,000.

‘ 4 Years for Forgery Solicitor ‘

East London based LAWYER GABRIEL GABMAN was convicted in court of forgery and numerous visa application submissions using counterfeit documents to obtain them in regard to work permits. The Police Investigation had been ongoing for some time.

‘ Lawyer who arranged false alibis pleads guilty ‘

SOLICITOR NAVEEN SAGAR appeared before the Kingston Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to two counts of perverting the course of justice and two counts of fraud.  Judge Fergus Mitchell heard how the ‘cocky’ lawyer arranged false alibis and tipped off gangs. He was arrested in February 2010 and police found £85,000 under his bed. 

‘ Solicitor Guilty of Fraud ‘

LAWYER HORACE ONOBRAKPEYA, a Nigerian born conveyance solicitor working in a firm in Clapham, South London, was found guilty of approving false mortgage applications and fabricating details.  The arrest of the solicitor was the result of a 2 year investigation by the Met Police.

‘ Lawyer Goes directly to Jail ‘

SOLICITOR LAWRENCE KENNEDY whose firm was in Herne Hill, London, appeared before Southwark Crown Court charged with secretly selling a client’s home and pocketing £265,000 from the deceased client’s estate. The judge said that Kennedy had abused his position of trust as far as the public were concerned so he jailed the solicitor for 2 years.  Kennedy of Dulwich Village apparently took advantage of his client Ferdinand Mitchell who had a very decent estate on his death. Kennedy sold the valued Balham home and then went on to deceive the man’s family by insisting the house was still on the market for sale.

‘ Solicitor harboured escaped prisoner and supplied drugs ‘

LAWYER ANGELA RUTH BROOKWELL of Solicitors Stephenson’s LLP in Wigan, was convicted at Manchester Crown Court on two criminal offences — harbouring an escaped convict, and in possession of an A class drug with intent to supply. She was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the drugs, and 33 months for aiding a prisoner to avoid capture, the court decided the total would remain 33 months in prison. The SRA tribunal made a decision to have her struck off.

‘ Lawyer Suspended over client account misuse ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW P DALRYMPLE MURRAY was suspended indefinitely by the SRA tribunal over his withdrawals from client accounts and using client cash for his own benefit. He also failed to keep proper accounts and failed to carry out the required reconciliations. He admitted to 16 allegations at the tribunal and was ordered to pay costs of £18,000.

‘ 5 years in jail for crooked solicitor ‘

LAWYER VICTORIA KATE LINNELL JOHNS appeared before Southwark Crown Court on five charges of deception and seven charges of the proceeds of crime.  The jury heard how she obtained money transfers by deception and acquiring criminal property while she was an in-house solicitor at the bank of T-M Ltd.  She was sent to Holloway Prison for five years and struck off by the tribunal who made out a prohibition order.

‘ Spanking Lawyer quits amid public outing ‘

SOLICITOR GREGORY TAYLOR made a sudden departure from the practice he worked as a Gay Magazine article showed him cavorting in a gay bar dressed in a thong.  Other pictures showed him spanking and being spanked along with lurid descriptions of drunkenness.  Gregory could not be contacted when we tried to phone him on his mobile, the number we got from the discipline club said that it was no longer in service. Other members said they knew him by another name until the magazine did the story. The reporter said ‘ It wasn’t about him really, but seeing as he was wanting to be in every photo we decided to feature it and didn’t know he was in the legal profession until a guy he came with told us so. We looked it up and found that he really was a lawyer and went with it, but he’s not so talkative now.’

‘ Solicitors at Spanking Club ‘

BOYS AND SIRS — and LAWYERS — The club welcomes all, including the world of Law who indulge in dressing up as schoolboys again to relive discipline in the Headmaster’s study. Even those that missed the period such as one 27 year old solicitor who frequents the club, goes to experience what he missed.  The South London venue just across the river offers scenarios to those seeking school re-enactment, domestic and the more harsh discipline required of Judicial sentences.  Membership is said to be around £15 with a fee per session on the day.  Lee, who with partner Gary are the proprietors and Lee likes to be seen in school uniform as he considers himself ‘ belle of the ball’ — he also purports to be an actor while Gary is a chef, and they also run a bistro near the Law Courts!!

Another list of corrupt cops from the files of our PI Richard:

SOLICITOR SUSAN ROCHESTER  —   Fraud and False Accounting.

SOLICITOR ARNOLD COULSON  —  Property Fraud Scam.

SOLICITOR LIZA SMITH    —  Theft and Falsifying Documents.

SOLICITOR ROBERT SMITH  —  Drugs and Car Racket.

SOLICITOR JACKSON FRENCH  —  Drink/Driving and Creating a false alibi.

SOLICITOR WENDY HILLER  —   Legal Aid Swindle.

SOLICITOR JASON FREEMAN-WRIGHT  —  Pilfering Client Accounts.

SOLICITOR ADAM GOTTLIEB   —-  Property Scam.

SOLICITOR FRANKLIN TAYLOR  —-  Child Sex Charges.

SOLICITOR STEPHEN WORSELY  —-   Money Laundering.

BARRISTER CHARLES WILDERMAN   —- Possession of Drugs and Driving under the influence.

SOLICITOR GRAHAM MOORE   —-  Stealing Client Cash from Deceased.

SOLICITOR  ASHLEY KENT   —-   Drug Smuggling Operation.

SOLICITOR  BRIAN CLARK   — False Accounting and Theft.

SOLICITOR  JOHN FOREMAN  —  Vehicle Scam and Company Fraud.

SOLICITOR  WILLIAM WEBB   —  Robbery.

SOLICITOR  GRANT CLEMENTS  —  Intent to Blackmail and using false instruments.

SOLICITOR  STUART PELLING  —- Mortgage Fraud.

SOLICITOR MITCHELL THACKERAY   —  Leaving Scene of Accident and fabricating an Alibi.

SOLICITOR LEWIS GOODE  —  Mortgage Fraud and ticket scam.

SOLICITOR  GARTH WALKER   —-  Deception and Fraud.

SOLICITOR  JONATHAN GABRIEL   —   Theft and Wills Scam.

SOLICITOR  MATT JOHNSON    —   False Accounting and Misuse of Client Funds.

SOLICITOR  COLIN MAXWELL  — Dishonesty and Fraud.

SOLICITOR  CHESTER BANKS  —  Insurance Fraud.

SOLICITOR  THOMAS FOWLER  —  Mortgage Scam and Deception.

SOLICITOR  GERALD DRAKE  —  Theft and forgery.

SOLICITOR  LIAM TENNISON  —  Making Pest Phone calls and Stalking.

SOLICITOR BOB GILLINGS   —-  Bank Funding Deception and Improper loan Applications.

SOLICITOR  KEVIN RILEY   —   Wills Deception and Improper Representation.

‘ Corruption and Bribery of Lawyers is a worldwide problem ‘

A MAJOR STUDY CARRIED OUT BY THE LAW GAZETTE UK AND INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION said that a third of lawyers in the world lose business to law firms or individual solicitors and barristers engaged in International Bribery and Corruption.  More than 1 in 5 said that they had been approached to take part in a possible corrupt transaction.  According to the survey of 650 lawyers across 95 countries the problem was becoming worse and should be addressed.  In the UK more than a third of lawyers believed that corruption affected the work they do, and they knew of other lawyers that engaged in this sort of thing.

‘ TV Game contestant publicly denounces Barristers in Exeter ‘

Stuart, a court employee at the Exeter Crown Court was asked if he could spot any liars and cheats by Jasper Carrot, host of the ITV game show, to which the contestant replied: ‘ Only the Barristers ‘ which he said without any hesitation,  —- One often says something that has the truth before reflecting on it?

Most TV game shows are based on greed, and one does see a number of solicitors competing?

‘ Unscrupulous Legal Claim Companies ‘

A MINISTRY OF JUSTICE SPOKESMAN said ‘They will not accept any malpractice or attempts to take advantage of vulnerable people? ‘   The Ministry regulates these Para-legal and Legal Firms with their hungry and greedy solicitors.   The PPI situation has spawned a rush by lawyers to get in on the compensation bankroll.  We’ve stopped counting how many more law firms are advertising on TV, it is nearly every week now that you see another new one touting for clients.  These people have already been conned by the banks, and now they are being taken again by solicitors and agents acting for them.  2,500 people are being scooped up by ‘Legal Claimers’ every week compared to only 1,523 the previous year.  The Ombudsman warned that these firms were making unrealistic promises about the amount of compensation — refusing to allow customers to get out of agreements, and excessive initial fees amounting to several hundreds of pounds.  The £215million bank pot provided by the banks for PPI settlements has already been raided to the tune of £43million which went straight to the greedy claims management firms.   These figures are from The Financial Ombudsman Service.

THE OMBUDSMAN spoke out on BBC’s Watchdog saying that these companies were acting in the same way as the PPI mis-selling, and misleading claimants.  ‘ Some of their claims for the claimant cannot be justified as they cannot guarantee a sum or payout, but they give the impression that because they are legal that it only works that way, and if they were to launch a claim individually — they wouldn’t be recognised?  Many of the companies featured were quick to say ‘ we have done nothing wrong? — but we’ve heard that one before, and it’s usually said in a court before the cop or lawyer is found guilty.

ANGER OVER LAWYERS WHO PASSED ON PERSONAL DETAILS — Tim Bowdler from Crouch End, North London. discovered that ‘Injury Lawyers’ had passed on his personal details after a minor road collision. Because an ambulance was called, he was advised to report the incident at Marylebone Police Station. After filling in a formal statement he shortly started to be bombarded by e-mails and texts, and learned that The National Injury Solicitors received his details from Bedford Insurance. ‘ Surely this breaks the confidentiality of the Data Protection Act’ he said angrily.

WE NOW COME TO A ‘ WEEK ‘ OF LAWYERS APPEARING BEFORE A DISCIPLINE TRIBUNAL:

We have 18 solicitors and two clerks — Sept 19, 22 and 23rd.

Solicitor OLUSEUN OLUWAKEN AJANAKU.

Solicitor AMBROSE EMEANA

Solicitor STEPHEN IJEWERE

Solicitor LOUIS SHWARTZ

Solicitor MARC DANIEL TRAUBE

Solicitor ANENGIYEFA BIOEKOPRE ALAGOA

Solicitor AFI CHIDI OMY

Solicitor MIRIAM HEPZIBAH SAXL

Solicitor ELEN GRIFFITHS

Solicitor EDWARD CHINEDU OBIOHA

Solicitor JAMES THORBURN-MUIRHEAD

Solicitor CLIVE MILLER HINDLE

Solicitor NICOLE JANE CARROLL

Solicitor EILEEN CRAWFORD WILSON

Solicitor GARY ACKINCLOSE

Solicitor NADEEM AKHTAR KHAN

Solicitor KENNETH HUNT

Solicitor BARBARA GAYTON

The clerks are —  NGOZI PIPI and DAVID BRADSHAW MEDLEY.

In the following few days the 26th to the 28th we have another 11 attend the Disciplinary Tribunal:

Solicitor  GARY JAMES WAINWRIGHT

Solicitor  PETER OKULOKHONE IBHAGBEMIEH

Solicitor  DAVID HURIAH THOMAS

Solicitor  EPHRAIM RAPHAEL STEELE

Solicitor  GEOFFREY DAVID OWEN

Solicitor  CLAUDIUS ROOSEVELT CHALLENGER

Solicitor  JOHN WILLIAM EAST

Solicitor  GEOFFREY KEECH

Solicitor  MARIAN CLIFT

Solicitor  JAYSUKH JAYANTILAL PATEL

Solicitor  NYLA QURESHI

As we often see, these hearings often concern misuse of client accounts, fraud, dishonesty, and breaches.

‘ Lawyer of 44 yrs and the LLP that killed his reputation ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN WARNER-SMITH did have a 44 year unblemished record in the legal profession, but that ended with a LLP — SOVEREIGN CHAMBERS and the connection to CAVELL SOLICITORS LLP — Elderly John Warner-Smith let four other solicitors bring him down knowingly or otherwise, and this led to him being struck off at a Discipline Tribunal.  Although the tribunal had sympathy for him as he was now ill, they had to come down hard on the others too.  SOLICITOR ALICK VOLIERE (a BARRISTER turned solicitor in the transfer test) was also struck off as he misled the SRA, run the firm, Sovereign Chambers, at a time he was not qualified, denied involvement in applications when in fact he had undertaken such work, failed to disclose to a client/lender all relevant information and had been found to be dishonest by the Tribunal. Voliere of Woodford Green, Essex, was judged on two counts and ordered to pay £9,000 and £24,000 costs.  John Warner-Smith was said to have permitted funds to be drawn from client accounts and failed to supervise the business as expected and was judged on three counts and ordered to pay costs of £9,000, £5,000, and £4,000.     SOLICITOR MIR MOHAMMED BELAL HOSSAIN aka — Mir Hossain Sharif, was suspended for 2 years (Beehive and Turner LLP – Cavell St, London.E4.) and SOLICITOR AHMEDUR RAHMAN – Cavell Solicitors LLP of Whitechapel Road, E1, was fined £3,500.  It was heard they improperly took money from client accounts and allowed an unadmitted clerk to operate a client account. Withheld information from clients and failed to act properly in conveyance transactions. It was said they moved client cash from one account to another- contrary to the rules.  Solicitor Hossain was ordered to pay costs of £9,000, and Solicitor Rahman – £3,000.  The last lawyer, SOLICITOR FOLARANMI AWOYE DAWODU was struck off, as the tribunal said he acted in a way likely to diminish public confidence and did not act in the best interests of the client. It was also stated that he misappropriated client funds, deliberately misled the SRA and made false statements – submitting documents knowing them to be untrue, and acted dishonestly – as he misused funds in 7 conveyance and re-mortgage transactions.  He was ordered to pay costs of £24,000.

All the cases above were brought against the ‘umbrella’ responsibility of Solicitor John Warner-Smith.

‘ Crooked Solicitor finally struck off ‘

LAWYER SAMSON WALDMAN who has a law firm in Spaniel Row, Nottingham, was struck off by a tribunal after it was heard that he conned the Inland Revenue HMRC out of £1million, by transferring returned fees into an off-shore account.

‘ Struck off, two reprimands and fine for four solicitors ‘

LAWYERS ARMEET SHARMA, BOMA OZOBIA, OMONE PUSEY and YAW FENY ESHUN were facing charges of inaccurate representations, conflict of interests, improper use of client accounts and failing to cooperate with the SRA.  Sharma was convicted of entering into conveyance transactions that exhibited signs of fraud, and not acting in the best interest of the client. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £49,337.  Ozobia was found to have made improper use of client accounts – making private loans from one client account to another. She was reprimanded and had to pay costs of £5,000.  Pusey was found to have made improper use of client accounts and making loans from an account without the permission of the client. Reprimanded and ordered to pay costs of £5,000. Eshun failed to deal with the SRA investigation openly and did not cooperate besides the misuse of client accounts. Fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs.

‘ Three Lawyers fall foul of tribunal ‘

SOLICITORS ARMEET SINGH SIKH, TASNEEM RAZA and MINAL K POPAT appeared before the tribunal facing improper withdrawal charges and failing to act with integrity.  It was stated that improper withdrawals were made from client accounts when there was insufficient money/ moved cash between accounts when they were not authorised to do so/ failed to act with integrity and more.  Sikh was said to have acted dishonestly, Raza became involved in dubious or fraudulent transactions, which the firm should have been aware of. — J R JONES SOLICITORS, Uxbridge Road, London W5.  Investigations began around 2008 when it was discovered client money was being used to repay loans.  Sikh of Barn Hill, Wembley was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £32,000.  Raza of Wickliffe Gdns, Wembley was suspended for one year and ordered to pay costs of £32,000.  Popat of Carbely Ave, Acton was fined £2,000 with £32,000 costs.

‘ Suspension for solicitor at Pinnacle Law Ltd ‘

Charges were brought before both the above named — LAWYER DINA RACHELLE CHERN and PINNACLE LAW — there were breaches of accounting rules/ failing to remedy breaches and misuse of client accounts.  Dina Chern was said to have misappropriated client funds amid allegations of dishonesty. Client money was incorrectly retained in the office account/ improper transfers were set at being around £10,518. It is also stated that the firm delayed payments in respect of county court judgements and permitted a ‘non-lawyer’ to be a co-director and the office cheques were dishonoured.  Reconciliations were not carried out among many other failings.  The tribunal Suspended Chern of Horseshoe Cres, Beaconsfield for one year with £36,600 costs. Pinnacle Law Ltd had their licence revoked and told to pay costs of £36,000.

‘ Jailed Lawyer unsuitable to be reinstated decide tribunal ‘

SOLICITOR LUCY ISON was decided as being guilty of conduct that meant she was undesirable to be employed in the legal profession a tribunal said. She had misappropriated client money, forged a document, which she said was from the Land Registry in order to deceive a client.  She had been convicted at a court of theft/using a false instrument with intent to commit fraud and burglary. She was sent to prison for 9 months at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court for theft, and it was said at her trial that she used client money to get a lavish lifestyle. The Tribunal came to the conclusion that it was a serious case of dishonesty and her appeal was rejected, She was ordered to pay costs of £28,248.

‘ Reprimand and Dishonest Solicitor face tribunal ‘

LAWYERS ANDREW J WATKINS and CATHERINE M B HARTLAND were called before the tribunal, accused of inappropriate handling of client accounts/ improper withdrawals of client money and failing to deal with clients and reconcile client cash accounts.  The case was adjourned against Mr Watkins because of illness.  It was discovered he had appeared before the tribunal earlier. He was accused of practising without a certificate in 2008 and on acting dishonest and reckless.  Catherine Hartland was reprimanded and ordered to pay costs of £500.

‘ Three Lawyers run into serious trouble appear before tribunal ‘

SOLICITORS SEKAR SOCKALINNNGHAM, SYED ASGHAR SHAH and NAHTAB ANSWAR AZIZ faced breaches of the rules, improper signing of documents, acting in a misleading manner and failing to act with integrity.  Sekar Sockalingham was said to have not kept proper records, improperly signed a document to the SRA on behalf of another without their knowledge and misled the SRA. He was struck off and ordered to pay £16,000 costs. Shah was said to have breached the rules and failed to carry out undertakings on two occasions.  He was reprimanded and ordered to pay £3,500 costs. In the investigations it mentioned his involvement in the Hazelhurst Case when £102,000 went missing and that he had failed to supervise the individual who had stolen it over a three year period? Aziz had one charge of a breach and that was set aside.

‘ Solicitors failure lead them to tribunal ‘

LAWYERS THOMAS ROBERT ALLEN and SANJEEV KUMAR KALAIR appeared before a tribunal having failed to observe rules   as laid down by the Society. Allen was said to have failed to report to the lender that the firm would not have control over the payment of all purchase monies, and it was found that the firm had not complied fully in the matter of Certificate of Title.  Allen was reprimanded and told to pay costs of £2,000, Kalair was fined £1,000 by the tribunal and ordered to pay £8,000 costs.

‘ Lawyer fined over non payment of fees ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID C ROBINSON of Queen Av, Dale St, Liverpool was fined £2,000 for non payment of fees to the Bar Council — the Barrister acting for Mr.Robinson. Fees of the case amounted to £26,893 and as the solicitor’s credit had been blocked and he was no longer in the scheme, the fees collection dept of the Bar Council applied to the Tribunal. Robinson was ordered to pay £2,594 in costs.

‘ One struck off solicitor — brings fines on two others ‘

LAWYERS JOHN LEYSHON and GEORGE E K SIMPSON were called before the tribunal. It was said they employed struck off solicitor COLIN JOHN TURNER whose certificate was suspended as a result of bankruptcy.  The two solicitors had employed him without the consent of the Law Society.  Leyshon of  11,Sara Close, 4 Oaks, Birmingham was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £7,250. Simpson of St Bernard’s Road, Solihull was also fined £2,500 and £7,250 costs.  The firm closed down and both men were made bankrupt.

‘ Misleading Clients brings condemnation and action ‘

SOLICITORS MICHAEL DAVID MATTHEWS and MICHAEL RICKABY came under heavy fire from the tribunal who ordered that no-one should employ Rickaby as a solicitor. Rickaby of 18,Jennings Orchard, Woodmancote, Cheltenham was said to have acted for both buyer and lender in a conveyance, and that he had misled the clients and failed to act in their interests. He had also in addition, failed to comply with money-laundering Regulations — and the conveyance he carried out bore the hallmarks of a mortgage fraud said the tribunal. No details were on Matthews, only that he was cited alongside Rickaby in the disciplinary action.

‘ Lawyer persistently lied to clients ‘

SOLICITOR SUREH LADWA of Worcester, appeared before a tribunal who heard that he had misled clients, committed a conflict of interests, and persistently lied to clients flouting all the rules laid down by the Society. It was also said he acted without the firm’s authority, and due to his irresponsible acts the firm became liable and had to pay two claims — one for £8,500 and the other £3,750.  Mr.Ladwa denied at first – having taken briefs from the clients, but it was later revealed in an internal investigation, that he had and he later admitted to doing so.  The Disciplinary Tribunal Records showed that he had appeared before them before in 2008.

‘ Struck off solicitor has history unbecoming ‘

LAWYER DAVID SHORROCKS of Ripon, North Yorks, the Boroughbridge area, was struck off after the tribunal heard a catalogue of shockers.  Breaches in accounts, Conflict of interests, broke confidentiality rules, failed to cooperate with the SRA, £91,000 of client cash missing – whereabouts unknown? moved from practice and left unsecured computers in the attic with client accounts stored in the drives. Had no certificate between the 5th of Jan to the 28th of Mar 2007, fined previously £10,000, suspended…two former appearances in 1995 and 2007. The tribunal made an order to have him struck off and pay costs of £2,881.

‘ ‘Fake Weddings at £1000 each held by Lawyer ‘

£360,000 was made by solicitor MICHAEL ADELASOYE in a wedding scam with cohorts, an Anglican Priest- the Reverend Alex Brown and Vladymyr Buchak in Sussex. The charismatic Lawyer was jailed in 2010 last November for four years, he was said to have ‘helped’ illegal immigrants stay by the deception and flouting of the rules. Although he claimed poverty, it appears prosecutors are still going after him for the huge amount of cash he denies making?

Now onto another list of solicitors facing disciplinary action:

SOLICITOR — JOHN JAMES QUARRELL

SOLICITOR — SUSAN MCKENZIE BEAUMONT (registered foreign lawyer)

SOLICITOR — FLORA MUIR

SOLICITOR — ASHOO DUA

SOLICITOR — NUSRAT ARA BAIG

SOLICITOR — MAYOOR MOTICHAND PAREKH

SOLICITOR — SIMON JAMES MURPHY

SOLICITOR — KARL PHILLIPS

SOLICITOR — SHADAB AHMED KHAN

SOLICITOR — ANDREW THOMAS WATSON

SOLICITOR — AFI CHIDI OMN

SOLICITOR — DOUGLAS MACDUFF WEMYSS

SOLICITOR — MICHAEL JOHN JEFFRIES

SOLICITOR — MONINA MAEVE RAMSDEN

SOLICITOR — GORDON JOSEPH O’BRIEN

SOLICITOR — KANTHIA K PATHMANATHAN

SOLICITOR — PRATHEEPAN PATHMANATHAN

SOLICITOR — PATHMAJANI CHANDRASEKARAM

SOLICITOR — JOHN RHYS JONES

SOLICITOR — SIMON MORGAN

SOLICITOR — LISA WILSON

SOLICITOR — RACHEL ISIS-GODSON AMAMOO

SOLICITOR — STEPHEN OWUSU-ANSAH

SOLICITOR — GODFREY H RUTTER MORGAN

SOLICITOR — STEPHEN MICHAEL OAKLEY

SOLICITOR — YOKE SUM WONG

SOLICITOR — KENGAI PANNAPALAM CHETTY

SOLICITOR — LIAM GERARD MCELEAVEY

It’s an ever increasing list more or less every two weeks of every month so bear with us.

 Personal Profit Suspected — Justice Minister stripped of legal responsibility ‘

Allegations of the Labour Party receiving thousands of pounds commission from personal injury lawyers have been angrily denied by Iain McNicol in a newspaper letter. He says the party never received any referral fees and that there will be no such arrangement made.  He says by way of note, that Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly has been stripped of his responsibility to regulate this type of legal firm following an investigation that revealed how he and his family could profit from the legal aid changes he has introduced into parliament?

‘ Lawyer admits to misleading MP’s over phone hacking scandal ‘

LAWYER JULIAN PIKE of the Law Firm FARRER & CO admitted to having misled Parliament when he backed a statement that only one rogue reporter was involved yet knowing he’d lied concealing the fact he knew of four reporters were involved at the News of the World engaging in phone hacking. Mr Pike could only say ‘ We have obligations to the client we are acting for.’  He insisted there had been no cover up despite his new statement?

‘ Solicitors Sued, play the time out card to get upper hand ‘

POOLE FIRM OF SOLICITORS PERRINS GUY WILLIAMS staved off a law suit against them brought by Cricket Star Geoffrey Boycott simply by quoting to the court that Mr.Boycott had delayed too long, and the time limit had come into force. They escaped having to pay out for not doing their job properly according to Mr.Boycott who claimed they had unfairly handled the house owned by him being claimed against by a partner. The Lawyers denied responsibility and argued it was too late to sue them.  Mr.Boycott claimed the law firm had given him bad advice on the purchase of a £2.5m house in Dorset.

‘ Libel Laws are being used to silence criticism says committee ‘

A Parliamentary Committee said that reforms need to reform the libel laws properly and recent changes do not go far enough to do this.  They said many corporations and lawyers are using the libel laws to prevent the threat of action in order to silence criticism.  They said there was too much ‘gagging of opponents’ at the present time in the UK, and other countries are flocking here to take advantage of the legal situation for their own benefit. They also added that is was clear that the rich and powerful were queuing up to get on the bandwagon.

‘ Seeking to impede — lawyer accuses colleagues in profession ‘

A Confidential leaked communicate lets this site into the world of counter moves that can anger one lawyer against another when the rules are there to confuse and misrepresent in the translation.  The Letter from Legal Complaints in 2009, denies the solicitor Keith Traves to access a file in it’s entirety from NBM Solicitors who refuse to give up further information on the grounds of Annexe 12A (a) and Annexe 12A (b) which impedes the solicitor’s responsibility to the client even though he has the authorisation from the client concerned to view the file, there is no clear obligation for NBM to come clean as the phrase goes….and you thought they were clear, transparent and accountable, …don’t fool yourself – does a leopard change its spots?

Now more lawyers at the Disciplinary trials: deception, fraud and client cash discrepancies etc,

SOLICITOR  LEO MICHAEL JOHNSTON

SOLICITOR  DAVID JAMES SYKES

SOLICITOR   DOREEN ELIZABETH POWELL

SOLICITOR  DAVID M BANNAR-MARTIN

SOLICITOR  DESMOND JAMES CORLIS

SOLICITOR  MOHAMMED SHARIFUL ISLAM

SOLICITOR  SHIRIN SHABNUM RAHIM

SOLICITOR  CLIVE MILLER HINDLE

SOLICITOR NICOLA JANE CARROLL

SOLICITOR  EILEEN CRAWFORD WILSON

SOLICITOR  GARY ACKINCLOSE

SOLICITOR  NADEEM AKHTAR KHAN

SOLICITOR  SHAHROKH MIRESKANDARI

SOLICITOR  CAROLINE SARA TURBIN

SOLICITOR JOHN HUGH BELL

SOLICITOR  LAWRENCE IAN WARD

SOLICITOR COLLETTE MARIA FARRELL

SOLICITOR AMINAT ADEDOYIN AFOLABI

SOLICITOR ANDREW DONALD VARLEY

SOLICITOR  SAIMA KAUSAR RAZAQ

SOLICITOR  CHUI CHI KELLY CHENG

SOLICITOR ROBERT JAMES COOK

SOLICITOR BAMIDELE UCHEIGBINEDION

SOLICITOR OLUTOBI DANIEL FAYEMIWO

SOLICITOR  HARJIT DLAY

SOLICITOR  JAMES THORBURN-MUIRHEAD

SOLICITOR ALAN CHARLES CRICKMORE

‘ Barristers sent to Prison – Kelvin Mackenzie short of mark ‘

THE OUTSPOKEN KELVIN MACKENZIE does get it wrong but never admits to it because of his self righteous brash attitude and a belief that he is a celebrity. He claims there are 28 barristers in prison for crimes, and that is over a period of five years according to his research. Sadly this is incorrect, some deals are made behind closed doors between the Chancellor and Bar council.  The real figure is more than double and close to three times the figure he puts forward.  The fact that Lawyers can be seen as solicitors and barristers unless specified clouds the issue. Some solicitors have recently been barristers and opted for demotion to solicitor in order to get high street work and they have not been counted even though they went to prison whilst still holding the achievement of being a bar member turned solicitor. Kelvin obviously wanted a pop at them for the recent anti-journalist campaign led by the judiciary and police.

‘ Culture of UK Vulture Lawyers led by USA Compensation Mania ‘

BRITAIN HAS NOW GOT ONE OF THE WORST REPUTATIONS for Solicitors on the hunt to exploit situations for their own greed.  The USA made this possible and literally taught them all they knew.  UK solicitors have become like ‘ bloodsuckers’ lying in wait, deceitful and uncaring — always on the lookout for easy prey and easy money.  No win, No fee firms are popping up everywhere, bungs and bribes a plenty, for those who can supply them with fresh meat.  There’s little wonder why UK lawyers have a bad name — they deserve it!!

‘Solicitor who fled to evade justice in fraud case escapes to final rest ‘

LAWYER ANDREW PATERSON went on the run in 1987 amid a fraud case when he was charged with fraud amounting to £17,000 resulting from being named in car importation scam.  He fled the UK shortly before being required to attend Guildford Crown Court in 1987.  He changed his name to Mark Attwood and fled to Goa and became a wealthy property developer owning timeshares developed by his successful company Karma Royal. The Police never got their hands on him until his body was brought back for burial in the Welsh village of Begelly where he grew up. The funeral was delayed while cops took fingerprints to confirm this was the fugitive.

‘ Big Head Lawyers complicate RBS loan Deals ‘

CITY CRUISES came out against Lawyers intent on creating unnecessary complication in drawing up deals for loans.  Its Director accused them of causing delays and actively preventing the business economy growing faster. Rita Beckwith said her firm’s expansion plans were suffering by legalese jamming up contracts issued and thought up by the bank solicitors.  RBS Peter Ibbetson head of small businesses said he concurred and could not deny the truth in what Rita Beckwith had said. Negotiations now take months through the bank’s lawyers using e-mails and telephone calls. Some of the intricacies and practical face to face dealings are not there and getting agreement difficult, and on top of that — the lawyers fees are enormous.

‘ Career in the Law? not really, we want the money say students ‘

A REPORT BY CAS — a student poll group had three major universities under the spotlight on what motivated students to go into the legal profession. Michelle Grant, Penny Johnson and Sue Taylor covered Exeter, London and Birmingham interviewing the largest number of law students as possible assuring their answers would be in the strictest of confidence and that no student be named in case prospective chambers and firms might just act in a way that would bar them from a career.

MONEY came top of the bill at a staggering 95per cent of attractiveness to all students. Thoughts of big cars, houses and in some cases, swimming pools were eagerly mentioned. Many thought it would be easy to take money off the public as some of the male students described the public as ‘Oinks! ‘  Many said the public were easily fooled by legalise and blustering in legal definitions (some of the students said they were too, but that didn’t matter so long as one could carry it off at the right time). Over fifty per cent said it was an easy way to get into the property market as they either had relatives in the law who owned several houses or knew of solicitors who bought properties to set up money making businesses. Several saw the money as providing a lavish lifestyle with holidays abroad and holiday homes in the Bahamas or Portugal.  Others quoted millionaire lawyers who had done very well out of the law and taxpayer.

POWER and influence came in at 60per cent as they saw it as a job that could get them into politics and onto boards of industry just for being a lawyer. Some said they could use it for gaining esteem in communities and being a cut above their peers.  Some even boasted that it would enable them to boss people about and bring down anyone who got in their way.  Some saw it as a way of putting the police in their place.  Many felt that it would protect them but couldn’t explain why.  Some of the males thought it ‘cool’ to wear the wigs and gowns and strut about the court looking important.  Quite a number of female law students wanted a feeling of power and position to overcome male rivals and even up the score!!

Only around 12per cent really wanted to be a lawyer and achieve the knowledge to change things for the better and battle for causes and clients with money and power second place.

‘ Misconduct Solicitor is suspended indefinitely ‘

LAWYER GUY DIGBY SEDDON appeared before a tribunal after being convicted of a criminal offence in the magistrates court. It was stated that these offences were committed at a point when he was suffering from considerable pressure which had led to his mental health deteriorating.  He was ordered to pay costs of £1,200.

‘Two Lawyers fined over conduct and client cash misuse ‘

SOLICITORS MOHAMMED AYUB and LIAQAT HUSSAIN of Harrow, Middlesex were both fined for unbefitting conduct, client account breaches connected with misappropriation of client cash and unexplained cash shortages.  The tribunal found them both guilty of not acting in the client’s best interests in that they acted as both seller and buyer without consent of the parties and did not observe the rules of conveyance.  Ayub was fined £12,500 and Hussain £7,500 and both were ordered to pay joint costs of £15,000.

‘ Solicitor is fined £1,000 over misconduct and delays ‘

LAWYER PETER STAFFORD EALES of Gloucester was found guilty of causing unnecessary delays and unbefitting conduct in regard to client undertakings. The tribunal also said that he had failed in important administration requirements  — he was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,750 costs.

‘ Reprimand for Lawyer ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN ANDREW SHORE   of Richmond house, White Rose Way, Doncaster, found himself accused by the tribunal of failing to supervise staff in the conveyance department, failing to to respond to correspondence and guilty of unbefitting conduct.

‘ Solicitor Struck Off by Disciplinary Tribunal ‘

LAWYER KOJO ASARE of Falmouth Way, Walthamstow, E17 was said to have delayed undertakings to clients, and failed to account for the misuse of client accounts in the respect of £19,000 — and abandoned his practice. This appearance was not his first as he had previously been fined by the tribunal for utilizing client accounts for his own purposes.  The tribunal found that his conduct had been not in the best interests of his clients and therefore he should be struck off.  He was ordered to pay costs of £4,000.

‘ Lawyers reprimanded over failures ‘

SOLICITORS ROY PHILIP COWIE  and GARY PAUL JOSEPHS of The Hub, Bell Yard Mews, London Bridge,  Failed to keep proper records of accounts and failed to include a list of partners of around twenty or so on letterheads of the firm.  The tribunal  accepted that it was not a deliberate act but one of not keeping their house in order. They were ordered to pay costs of £2,772.

‘ Indefinite Suspension for Solicitor ‘

LAWYER ELLEN JAYNE GODSELL of 7, Park Howard Ave, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, was found guilty of unbefitting conduct, making improper withdrawals from client accounts and failing to remedy breaches along with keeping inadequate records.  The tribunal decided that the offences merited serious consideration that an indefinite suspension was given and she was ordered to pay costs of £3,800.

‘ Lawyer signs signature of wife without permission ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL JOSEPH HOUSIAUX was reprimanded by the tribunal after they heard that he he signed his divorced wife’s signature on a document which he had submitted to an Insurance Company in order to redeem an Endowment Policy, and had not approached her for her permission. The Stoke on Trent solicitor was found guilty of professional misconduct.  He was ordered to pay £5,000 costs.

‘ Misuse of Client Account Solicitor is fined ‘

LAWYER JEREMY ARTHUR DAVENPORT of Montrose House, Southend Road, Hockley, Essex, was found guilty of unbefitting conduct and the misuse of client accounts at his practice.  The tribunal fined him £5,000 and ordered him to pay £4,300 in costs.

‘ Lawyer is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR BENEDICT EMEKA UZOR appeared before the High Court on serious charges relating to breaches of public trust and behaviour not befitting his profession.  The solicitor from Purley near Croydon was ordered to be struck off the roll of solicitors.

‘ Fine of £5,000 for misbehaving Solicitor ‘

LAWYER TOPER HASSAN appeared before a Disciplinary Tribunal where it was decided that he behaved in a manner likely to diminish public trust.  In addition, it was said that he failed to cooperate with the SRA and directives.  Three allegations were founded at the hearing.  He was fined £5,000 and was required to pay costs of £2,662.

‘ Jailed Lawyer ordered to pay back £2m scam cash ‘

SOLICITOR KATE JOHNS, the Deputy Head of Mitsubishi’s Legal Department steered colleagues into ignoring procedures and got them to approve credit of £7million.  The Lawyer was jailed for 5 years when the court found her guilty of fraud.  It was stated at Southwark Crown Court that she received pay offers of £1.95 million corruptly. It was said by the defence she was now bankrupt, but the judge gave her six months to return the money or face the possibility of a further 10 years additional jail time.

‘ UK Barrister jailed for 8 years ‘

A massive immigration scam involving BARRISTER SYED AHMED of Havelock Terrace, Sunderland, netted millions of pounds for the unscrupulous legal official.  A UK Border Agency spokesman said Ahmed was one of the five people arrested involved in running a bogus college and corrupt advisory firm in London.  The Barrister was found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration at Southwark Crown Court, and as a consequence of the breach of trust he was sent to prison for eight and a half years.

‘ Fraud Lawyer gets Jail Term ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN BOWMAN made false claims knowing that he’d falsified information on forms, then claimed his partner in the practice, a struck off Legal Executive, JOHN ALSTON had done the work.  Preston Crown Court heard that Bowman was the sole Practitioner at Bowman’s of Bridgwater St, Sale.  It was stated that he involved a serving prisoner in his deception and dishonesty — struck off SOLICITOR PAUL HANLEY, who was serving 8 years for armed robbery.  Bowman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Legal Aid Board and making a false application. Hanley was given a further jail sentence of 18 months and Alston was given 12 months.

‘ Solicitor in Immigration Scam ‘

LAWYER CHRISTOPHER CHRISTODOULIDES, an Immigration specialist lawyer, appeared before Croydon Crown Court charged with using forged documents in a £1million bogus British Visa Scam that let 500 Romanians get British status illegally.  The Winchmore Hill solicitor admitted to fraud and conspiracy charges.

‘ £3.5million Scam Operated by Lawyer ‘

MAUREEN McHUGH was given a 240 hour Community Service Order by Judge Swift, who said she had been easily led and used by her husband DAVID McHUGH who was referred to as ‘The Businessman’ — falsely claiming to be an accountant.  Liverpool Crown Court heard how the solicitor continued engaging in fraud despite a police raid on his offices in Birmingham.  The massive nationwide fraud case was brought by the Department for Trade and Industry…the case continued.

‘ Solicitor Accused of Laundering £100,000 ‘

LAWYER HO LING MO was charged with acquiring, converting, and transferring criminal property — further offences including false accounting, fraud by false representation, assisting unlawful immigration by organising sham marriages, cheating the public revenue and conspiracy to conceal, false claims for legal aid payments were drawn up by prosecutors.  In court it was said she deliberately disposed of a laptop computer containing the evidence.  The case continues.

‘ Rising Lawyer in £18million Money-laundering Scam ‘

SOLICITOR STEPHEN CURTIS who ran a firm in London, was said by the prosecution to have pocketed eighteen million pounds as a result of a pact with Russian Tycoons involved in a fraud scam.  For his services they helped launch him into the big league of private jets, yachts and a lavish lifestyle.  Amid false paper trails set to put investigators off the trail, Curtis managed to portray the ordinary life of a solicitor who worked hard and was doing moderately well, but this all went wrong when a court case emerged involving a dispute over £3.4 billion in oil and aluminium shares by the Russians who failed to plug all the gaps. QC Jonathan Sumption claimed that Curtis was the brain behind the scheme. (Curtis committed suicide at the time)

‘ Liverpool Lawyers in Legal Aid Scam ‘

A REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE DUBIOUS PRACTICES BY LIVERPOOL LAWYERS which went on to say that the Legal Aid bill had rocketed on Merseyside due to the greed of solicitors.  The Legal Services Committee for Merseyside said that evidence showed that within the City, £2m of £3million spent on welfare checking is spent by law firms without a legal aid franchise.  They said the ‘green form’ (for legal aid) is being abused and utilized for gain by a great number of solicitors in the area.

‘ Judge slams No Win No Fee lawyers in appalling case ‘

A HIGH COURT JUDGE Lord Justice Rix hit out at the respective solicitors in a claims case involving contracted builders and Epsom College School.  The case concerned leaky piping and a bill set around several hundred pounds, which through time-consuming lawyers and mountains of created paperwork became just over £200,000.  The judge said it was outrageous that such a case should end up being so expensive and that in essence there was no need for this kind of thing had it not have been for this ‘No Win No Fee’ system. He also blamed the contractor’s Insurance Company who were trying hard to gamble on the outcome being favourable to them and their client by raising the stakes.

‘ Law Firm in break-up due to dissatisfied partners ‘

Sources close to a law firm in Birmingham have revealed that a ten member strong firm of family law and criminal law solicitors are set to part because of inter-house disputes over irregularities and finance.  The brother-in-law Mr.John Jessop of the Managing Clerk at the un-named practice told us that the row broke out after money discrepancies came to light and no one seemed to know how that had happened.  It was first blamed on expense sheets and withdrawals from the Office Account.  Attempts were made to explain this by senior executive partners who claimed that it was just a blip and money was still to be accounted for.  But, some junior partners became unhappy as they feared the SRA and Law Society might become suspicious which would probably lead to an investigation of the firm’s accounts at a time when no answers were forthcoming despite calls for an audit by accountants to clarify the position.  He said that four of the partners were prepared to leave and form a company of their own if the matter did not reach a satisfactory solution for everyone concerned.

‘ Another Spanking Club for Lawyers revealed ‘

CLUB C.P. claiming to be the largest corporal punishment club in Europe plays host to lawyers — our Investigator tracked two such lawyers down to the Kings Cross Area of London, Central Station, 37, Wharfedale Road, N1. The club in a pub, is accessible at two points, round to the side for the basement spanking sessions, and through the main doors and up to the top floor for the other.  Richard found opposition when he spoke to young solicitor Kevin who too readily admitted to being a regular Saturday visitor, and gave up the fact that several friends of his who were solicitors frequented the club at various times before being halted by his older friend, Lawyer Malcolm Smith who declared it was none of our business and claimed we were breaching their privacy.  We pointed out that secrets like this could interfere in a lawyer’s dealings and give rise to blackmail if the moment was right, and that was in the public interest to know that such a lawyer indulging in secret fetishes could be easily compromised in his professional status. Sadly we learnt no more as the mature ‘master’ lawyer created a fuss and Richard had to make his exit.

Another round of lawyers at the Disciplinary tribunal — Misuse of client funds, criminal etc,

SOLICITOR  DAVID ERIC BROWN

SOLICITOR  SIMON KABERRY

SOLICITOR  DAVID HURIAH THOMAS

SOLICITOR  EPHRAIM RAPHAEL STEELE

SOLICITOR  PAUL FRANCIS ROONEY

SOLICITOR  PAUL ODINKEMERE

SOLICITOR  CLAIR RUSKIN-BROWN

SOLICITOR  NICHOLAS UPRIGHT

SOLICITOR  ANTONIA KYRIACOU

SOLICITOR  AFI CHIDI OMU

SOLICITOR  MOHAMMED RIAZ

SOLICITOR VANESSA HELEN TOFIELD

SOLICITOR PAUL JULIAN MARK BAILEY

SOLICITOR  MUHAMMED ABDUL MALIK

SOLICITOR  AMINAT ADEDOYIN AFOLABI

‘ Cheating Lawyer in £100,000 Fraud ‘

SOLICITOR ANNE ERVINE was accused of cheating a 94yr-old woman out of her home claiming to have witnessed pensioner Annie Martin having signed over her property too her son.  She was accused of forgery and using false Land Registry forms with intent at Belfast Crown Court.  She appeared in the dock alongside the son and his wife who stood to gain £100,000 worth of property by deception.

‘ Solicitor in £550,000 Tax Fiddle ‘

MILLIONAIRE LAWYER JOHN ROBERTS defrauded the tax system for a staggering twelve years in complex property deals. The Lawyer diverted the cash to Guernsey and into a firm under a false name. The court in Wolverhampton jailed Roberts for three years and eight months — the judge said the only motivation for the crime seemed to be one of greed.

‘ Insider Trading Lawyers in Court ‘

THE FSA brought charges against two lawyers — LAWYER ANDREW RIMMINGTON and LAWYER MICHAEL MCFALL at The Westminster Magistrates Court.  The two men are set to stand trial at Southwark crown Court — Rimmington of Dorsey and Whitney, and McFall of Dermott Will and Emery, are charged with eight counts of insider dealing during the takeover of Neutec, along with Neutec’s Director Peter King.  They are jointly charged with acquiring 3,012 Neutec shares on the basis of having gained insider information.

‘ Guilty Solicitor escapes with fine ‘

LAWYER ROBERT THOMAS was found guilty of assisting and helping a drug dealer sell three homes before they could be seized.  He came off lightly with a £5,000 fine and no ban — the tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct. He disposed of property belonging to criminal Michael Beacom, assisting someone in the commission of a crime the tribunal ruled.  The solicitor who now works for the firm Campbell Sievwright and Co. in Glasgow would not comment.

‘ Lawyer in attempt to defraud is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR PETER PROCOPI of 99, Park Rd, Barnet, a consulting solicitor to YVA Solicitors, 811, High Rd, London N12, was sentenced to nine months in prison — 6 months for 2 counts and 3 months for the two remaining counts of intending to defraud the HMRC and two counts of making false statements, the sentence to run concurrently. The Disciplinary Tribunal found his dishonesty proved by virtue of the court judge who said ‘ These were acts of deliberate dishonesty and no other description will do ‘  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off and pay costs of £1,277.47.

‘ Solicitor gets 54 months jail for property deception ‘

LAWYER LENNOX ANDREW MANIFOLD appeared before Bristol Crown Court, and was found guilty on 14 counts of conspiracy to obtain property by deception. He was a partner in a Birmingham Law firm who was sentenced to 54 months jail in Feb.2010. but on appeal — it was reduced to 36 months having found to be excessive. He was prohibited from returning to the Solicitors Roll by the tribunal who said he remains struck off and was ordered to pay costs of £1,500.

‘ 3 years jail for theft Lawyer ‘

SOLICITOR ANGELA JANE BUTLER of Geldards LLP was convicted of theft at Derby Crown Court. It was heard that she made 63 improper payments using client cheques to clear her own bills. She had authorised the taking of £44,633.84 and had been systematically stealing from the firm for two years. The court sentenced her to 3yrs prison. The tribunal received her appeal from H.M.Prison Foston hall, Derbyshire, but concluded that she should be struck off and ordered her to pay costs of £6,000.

‘ Perjury and Money-Laundering Solicitor Jailed ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY HERSHEL BLOK was convicted at Croydon Crown Court for offences relating to giving false information; 6 counts, perjury, and perverting the course of justice plus money-laundering. The former Senior partner at Nick Inge Solicitors, Camberwell Church St. SE5 was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for perjury and 12 months on a further 3 counts each totalling 4 years.  The court was told that he benefitted from the proceeds of crime totalling £75,000 plus. The Disciplinary Tribunal reviewing the case had him struck off the roll and ordered him to pay costs of £994.20.

‘ Benefits Cheat Lawyer is fined ‘

SOLICITOR AILISH A ABRAHAMS appeared before Acton Magistrates Court and was found guilty of three offences — producing and furnishing a false document — making false claims for housing benefit and council tax — and falsely securing benefit for herself.  She was fined £100 on the first offence with no separate penalties for count 2 and 3.  Court costs were £314.  The tribunal reviewing her case decided she must be suspended indefinitely and pay costs of £4,500.

‘ Money-Laundering Solicitor sentenced to 4 years in jail ‘

LAWYER SHADAB A KHAN was sentenced to 4 years in jail, plus one concurrent year by Leeds Crown Court for money-laundering and two counts of failing to disclose knowledge or suspicion of same.  The former Solicitor of Solicitors Direct, Carlisle Road, Bradford, later appealed to the tribunal.  Reviewing his case, the Disciplinary Tribunal was informed he had appeared before a tribunal previously and was reprimanded with £6,000 costs.  Dishonesty was proved in this case and he was struck off the roll and had to pay costs of £1,750.

‘ Lying Lawyer gets 5 years ‘

SOLICITOR VICTORIA KATE LINNELL JOHNS was convicted of five offences of deception and seven offences of acquiring criminal property concerning the proceeds of crime at Southwark Crown Court. She was sentenced to 5 years at H.M.Prison Holloway. This period was halved on appeal and suspended. At a tribunal she was refused re-entry to the Solicitor’s Roll as the court trial clearly showed she told lies to cover her misdeeds, and she was ordered to pay costs of £750.

‘ Two Solicitors fined over client account misuse ‘

LAWYERS ALASTAIR JOHN ROSS and DARRELL SIMON HOLMES fell foul of the Disciplinary Tribunal when it was read out that they had made improper withdrawals from client accounts, failed to declare County Court Judgements in their applications for practising certificates and were accused of dishonesty.  Holmes had been convicted of drink/driving at The Dales Magistrates in Derbyshire and fined £1,536 and banned for 30 months.  Ross had been in contentious divorce proceedings and had been made bankrupt.  There was also the matter of a shortfall in the client accounts of £47,237.61; both of them worked at Walter Scott and Ross Solicitors, 27, St.Mary’s St, Ilkeston, Derby. The tribunal fined Ross £10,000, and Holmes, £12,000.

‘ Lawyer helps escaped prisoner ‘

SOLICITOR ANGELA RUTH BROOKWELL appeared before The Manchester Crown Court on charges that she assisted and harboured an escaped prisoner with intent to pervert the course of justice, and acted with intent to supply an  A class drug, heroin.  She was sentenced to twelve months in prison.

‘ Dishonest Solicitor’s firm is closed ‘

LAWYER PAULINE BUTLER, a solicitor in Carlisle, had her law practise closed down by the Law Society and SRA.  Her account books and files were transferred to the Investigation Unit of the SRA — A spokesperson would only say that she would appear before a Professional Regulations Panel in connection with breaching the account rules and that she was suspected of dishonesty.

‘ Unpaid Rail Ticket Solicitor pleads Guilty ‘

FARE DODGING LAWYER REBECCA CHARLOTTE ANDREW, an assistant solicitor at Westwood Solicitors, Carlton House, Albert Square, Manchester, changed her plea as she was prosecuted for train travel without a valid ticket.  Manchester Magistrates fined her 3440 and ordered her to repay the ticket price of £3.60 to Northern Rail. She was also ordered to pay costs of £115.

‘ Murder Lawyer’s appeal is denied by tribunal ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN DAVID CORT who was convicted of murder at Nottingham Crown Court in 2010 and sentenced to 29 years for the killing of another solicitor, had his appeal denied by the tribunal, who took into consideration that 4 other offences concerning other matters were not dealt with due to the seriousness of the murder ruled that he should remain struck-off and ordered costs of £1,000, but remarked they probably would never be paid in the 28 years remaining.

‘ Dishonest solicitor in fraud given suspended sentence ‘

LAWYER RAMINDER KAUR HEER appeared before Harrow Crown Court charged with eight counts of fraud on October the 22nd 2010 and found guilty.  She was given a suspended sentence of 10 months — A tribunal made the decision that she abused her position and showed dishonesty in her conduct and was ordered to be struck off the Solicitor’s Roll.

‘ Charity Theft Lawyer arrested by police ‘

SOLICITOR DAWSON JOHN HANSON appeared before Nottingham Crown Court and was found guilty of dishonesty and the misappropriation of funds from a charity at a football club where he held the position of treasurer.  He was a partner in the firm Simm and Waldron of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He received a suspended sentence of 2 years in prison.  The tribunal reviewing his case noted that he was also convicted of client account misuse – to the amount of £45,000 — making false representations for gain and four counts of false accounting, and had his practice certificate suspended due to bankruptcy.  The tribunal ordered that he should be struck off and was ordered to pay costs of £24,185.30.

‘ Solicitor found guilty of VAT offences ‘

LAWYER MARTYN SLOCOMBE was convicted at Worcester Magistrates Court on nine counts contrary to the VAT Act of 1994, the case being brought by the HMRC. He was fined £2,500 for failing to make payments and comply with a notice.  On reviewing the case, a tribunal found that he had taken client monies and was also guilty of dishonesty as he’d used some of the client cash to pay tax bills.  He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £16,682.55.

‘ Lawyer gets 7 years for theft ‘

SOLICITOR SIMON MORGAN and practise manager ANN MORGAN were found guilty on 12 counts of theft at Leeds Crown Court. Simon Morgan was sentenced to seven years, but wife, Ann Morgan was declared unfit to plead due to illness.  Simon Morgan was a partner at MILNERS, Great George St, Leeds, Ann, his wife also held the position of practice manager.  An investigation began when shortages were found in the client accounts to the amount of £676,733.82 — it was found they were both misusing and taking cash from the aforesaid client accounts, and Simon Morgan had put down a deposit of £15,188 for a Lamborgini Gallardo, another car to join his Ferrari and Audi S8 — it was said they enjoyed a lavish lifestyle amid the £2.2million — estimated thefts at the firm were £1.36 million. Morgan was struck off by the tribunal and his wife was sectioned under a Rule 43 order.

‘ Arrested Solicitor is suspended ‘

LAWYER BRIAN BARSO, a partner in the firm MCKEOWANS, a personal injuries lawyer, was suspended from the firm with two staff juniors after his arrest by investigating police.  The report says the police are investigating a £5million fraud by a lawyer at McKeowans.  They go onto say the fraud investigation focuses on payments received by Brian Barso over a considerable period – (Report in the Insurance Times) — Senior partner Diarmuid McKeowan said the firm was astonished and sad over the allegations against Brian Barso, and the possible breach of trust they placed in him — however, they had no alternative but to suspend him until it was resolved.

‘ U.S. seeks extradition of U.K. Lawyer ‘

LAWYER JEFFREY TESLOR was accused of getting a colleague to give false evidence and testimony in a £80million bribery scandal say U.S.  The North London Lawyer was accused by the US Prosecution team led by David Perry QC, who accuses Teslor of conspiracy in the Nigerian Scam.  He told Westminster Magistrates Court that there was compelling evidence and good reasons to extradite Tesler.  Jeffrey Teslor’s QC argued that little of the alleged bribery took part in the US and failed to see how the US could see itself as the prime accuser.

‘ Money-Laundering Solicitor in Court ‘

SOLICITOR BENJAMIN CORNELIUS of St Andrew’s Close, Mayals, appeared before Bridgend Magistrates Court facing sixteen charges relating to false and misleading statements in association with a £650,000 property scam.

‘ Lawyer arrested over neighbour quarrel and damage ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL WILLAN, a high flying lawyer to the Italian Consulate in Manchester, was arrested by police and cautioned over an incident and act of deliberate vandalism on his neighbour’s property.  CCTV showed him climbing over the wall of neighbour Simon Gallop, a property developer, and intentionally smashing ornimental garden lights because of a disputed tree which had overhanging branches that went into Willan’s garden.  HEATON’S LLP, solicitors representing Mr.Gallop said they were assessing the cost of the damage to the expensive lights and will be seeking compensation from the lawyer. They are also hoping for an order restraining him from further acts against their client.

‘ False Uni-Degree and Fraud Lawyer ‘

A Manchester Solicitor, Dr MALIK, a senior partner at the immigration firm of MALIK LAWS in Cheetham Hill, was found to have a criminal record for dishonesty, and amazingly attended a Disciplinary Tribunal on two previous occasions.  The solicitor who faced 10 charges of Legal Aid Fraud, will face new Disciplinary charges at a tribunal with partner, DECLAN ADAMS another lawyer who specialises in Immigration Law.  The pair were running firms in Manchester and Bethnal Green in London.  It was revealed that apart from Malik submitting a false university degree when applying to be a solicitor, he received a conviction in 1977 when he forged an A-level certificate to get on a law course at Manchester Polytech.

‘ 14 Lawyers reported for defrauding the legal aid system ‘

In a Report by The Sunday Mail ‘ uncovering a corruption scandal’  it said that despite fourteen lawyers being placed before prosecutors for fraudulently obtaining taxpayers cash through false legal aid claims, no-one has appeared in court?  In fact, Crown Officials would not name or identify any lawyer involved in the fraud or how extensive it might be?  They only confirmed that to date they had 14 cases they were considering.  The Sunday Mail recently led the way against lawyers in legal aid scams, naming in their investigations — SOLICITOR NEIL LOCKHART of Kilmarnock who they said raked in £600,000 in two years,  — legal aid watchdogs confirmed this saying that Lockhart made ‘dodgy’ claims, but they didn’t call in the police.  3 lawyers who worked at the Paisley firm ROBERTSON and ROSS were forced to hand back £221,847 in claimed cash and were banned from making such further claims.  Legal colleagues FRAZER CURRIE and ALASTAIR GIBB were banned too.  The Sunday Mail pounced on SOLICITOR STEPHEN ANDERSON, of Springburn, Glasgow who pocketed £560,330 in just one single year, certain payments were later blocked but he was not struck off for this conduct?

‘SCANDAL EMERGES AT THE CROWN OFFICE OVER LEGAL AID FRAUD LAWYERS — continuing from the above, The Justice Secretary backs Lord Advocate in decision not to prosecute the 14 lawyers?  The Crown Office and Procurator’s Fiscal Services suddenly fly in the face of public condemnation as anger grows over the millions of pounds being falsely claimed by the fourteen solicitors in the fraud scam.  They claimed there was a lack of evidence? but others said it was a case of looking after one of their own as it was a lawyer deciding over other lawyers and the verdict was not surprising.  To make matters worse for the 14 lawyers and The Crown Office investigations by the ‘bulldog’ Mail Reporters uncovered facts they were not intended to see, as a secret kept by the Crown Office blew up in their face when it was found out that one of the accused solicitors was married to a member of staff at The Crown Office? and a close look at the Legal Aid Board exposed the suppressed matter of another suspected lawyer in the scam was married to a police officer.  The Mail now finding that they were banging loudly mounted another attack to get at corruption and have the lawyers charged announced to readers and the Crown Office that there was the Official Crown Office Website that had a huge amount of public complaints and criticism which the legal profession was ignoring and hoping would not be given much attention!!

‘ 8 Lawyers tracked down to S & M Club ‘

Keeping our vigilance up on seeking out the spanking lawyers, our reporter and Investigator Richard followed up on his previous visit to the C.P.Club at Kings Cross and managed to infiltrate the membership of a South London club called ‘The Anvil’ a club primarily into leather and Sado- Masochism plus bondage and beatings. It wasn’t long before he met up with solicitor Kevin again who quickly disappeared.  Not deterred by this Richard identified eight other lawyers in various gear, some wielding canes and straps to three who were acting as slaves and offering themselves up for beatings. He managed to talk with two other solicitors, Gordon Shaw and William Foster who both had instruments as they viewed ‘possibles’ around the club in the hope of getting in some action. Lawyer Cyril who emerged from the darkness unrolled a rug to reveal a birch he’d brought all the way from Southampton, and after persuading Tom a youngish solicitor with a young friend he went off to thrash them both.  Keeping up his pretence as a master -just looking, he met up with Ralph a more senior lawyer who seemed to rumble him, but not entirely and Richard finally having got the story made an exit.

Reflecting on what one upset solicitor said about us invading their privacy, we put it to one that if what they were doing was okay why not let your client know, tell the court, but no reply.  We looked at this and came to the conclusion it’s not revealed because it would probably be the end of their legal career.

Now an update on the solicitors who face a tribunal for client account misuse and others:

SOLICITOR  KANTHIA K PATHMANATHAN

SOLICITOR  PRATHEEPAN PATHMANATHAN

SOLICITOR  PATHMANJI CHANDRASEKARAM

SOLICITOR  MALIK MOHAMMED NAZEER

SOLICITOR  MALIK MOHAMMED SALEEM

SOLICITOR  DAVID SOULSBY WILLIAMSON

SOLICITOR  GAIL WATKINS

SOLICITOR  VANDA HELENA BOATFIELD

SOLICITOR ANITA ELLA ANDREWARTHA

SOLICITOR MARK EDWARD COTTRILL

SOLICITOR  ELIZABETH NAOMI SHAER

SOLICITOR  NINA LOTHAR

SOLICITOR  RAJESH SHAH

SOLICITOR  RODNEY WILLIAM NOON

SOLICITOR  SIMON JOHN HOLBORN

This brings the January list to 30 solicitors being before the Disciplinary Tribunal in one month.

‘ Client Money misuse leads Solicitor into trouble ‘

LAWYER DAVID GEORGE HOULDCROFT withdrew money from his client accounts without authorisation and failed to keep proper accounts. The Disciplinary Tribunal said he failed to act in the best interests of his clients, and was found guilty of unbefitting conduct. The solicitor from a firm in Christchurch St, Old Bank Chambers in Stoke-on-Trent was fined £10,000 and told to pay costs of £15,924.89. Houldcroft handled conveyance matters and it was noted that many complaints had actually come from other solicitors.

‘ 7 Lawyers face tribunal for misuse of client funds, false entries etc ‘

SOLICITORS — JOHN LEONARD WRIGHT, PHILIP ANDREW GOODALL, MICHAEL EAST, DAVID MILLER PRESCOTT, JONATHAN CARR, PAUL STOTT and MALCOLM GRASSAM faced numerous charges when they appeared before the tribunal.  Client account misuse – improper use of accounts – undue delays and making false entries.  It was said that East and Stott submitted claims for costs that could not be justified. Wright wrote a misleading letter, failed to disclose information to clients and acted improperly which was a conflict of interests. All but Prescott admitted to use of client money for their own purpose. All but Prescott and Carr admitted to having made false entries in the firm’s ledgers. Wright of Hull was fined £7,500 with costs of £6,000. Goodall of Meadow Way, Walkington, was fined £3,500 with cost of £4,000.  Miller of Brookholme, Eastgate, Hornsea was fined £3,500 with costs of £3,500.  East of Southgate, Hornsea was fined £3,500 with costs of £4,000.  Prescott of Eastgate, Hornsea was fined £3,500 with costs of £3,500 and Carr of Brough was reprimanded and told to pay costs of £1,000.

‘ Solicitor fined £1,500 for client account misuse ‘

LAWYER BYRON JAMES SNAITH improperly withdrew money from the client account and failed to promptly replace it said the tribunal who came to the decision that the solicitor failed to acvt in the best interests of his client.  He was found guilty of unbefitting conduct and fined £1,500 with £500 costs.  In mitigation he said that he had not been at the firm long; some 29 days, when the senior partner solicitor disappeared having fled and misappropriated a large sum of money leaving large debts at the practice Victor Lissack, Roscoe and Coleman of Marylebone Lane, London W1.

‘ Lawyer deliberately misled clients ‘

SOLICITOR ANGELA ELIZABETH SEYMOUR of Bond, Pearce Solicitors in Exeter, was fined £5,000 with £5,000 costs because she lied to clients about their cases and had not carried out their instructions in regard to litigation matters.  It was put to her that she did not carry out the work because the NFU problem files e-mailed to them via a web page were non-profitable because of an existing contract with the company agreed to no fees being chargeable on this work. It was revealed that her solicitor husband worked at the firm as a team leader.

‘ Money laundering solicitor goes to prison ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS HEYWOOD was given 12 months jail at Chester Crown Court after being found guilty of money-laundering and perverting the course of justice — it was disclosed that he had been facilitating the laundering of money from a vulnerable lottery winner.

In a separate case Nicholas Heywood, former partner at the Betesh Partnership in Manchester (2010) withheld and altered conveyance files connected with a police enquiry — Cheshire Police said he had deliberately intended to frustrate a police investigation and had nearly succeeded.

‘ Crooked Lawyer in Swindle ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW PENMAN with the firm, Stormouth Darling Solicitors in Kelso, was investigated by The Law Society in connection with the Cherbi Case, which involved a swindle of £250,000.  A report says that the solicitor is linked to a will scandal.  This matter is described as a Royal Bank and Tax Deception in connection with the Ladykirk Estates Ltd.

‘ Jailed Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER OWAIN DWYRYD JONES of The Midland Bank Chambers in Gwynedd, was struck off the roll by a Disciplinary tribunal reviewing his case. He was found guilty of 12 counts at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court and convicted of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception and was jailed for 6 months.  The tribunal found him guilty of unbefitting conduct, dishonesty and the misuse of client funds committed during the course of legal practice.   He was ordered to pay costs of £4,927.

‘ Client Account misuse Lawyer struck off ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID F HENDERSON of Seaton, Gray Bell and Bagshawe Solicitors, Whitby, North Yorkshire, was struck off by the Tribunal. He was found guilty of bringing the legal profession into disrepute, in that he misused client funds, and did improper transfers.  He admitted acting dishonestly. The tribunal said that he misused funds of £175,831 — improper transfers of £27,189 — total shortage £203,21.57  — he was ordered to pay £5,167 costs.

‘ Solicitor in Finance Fraud ‘

LAWYER DAVID HORSFALL was said to have provided the ‘legal front’ and provided misrepresentations to investors.  The Gresham House Fraud was big business with a glossy front to impress the scam that lurked behind it. Boss, Edward Devonport (of the BBC2 programme ‘Dragon’s Den) fronted the operation as they promoted a false image to victims who suffered crippling losses. Solicitor David Horsfall of Godalming, Surrey, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to the charge of committing fraud with Davenport and four others. Three have been jailed so far, other sentences were not given and we have no report on them as yet.

‘ Lawyer’s offence revealed on retirement ‘

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER J W GARVAIN formerly of Dawson Hart Solicitors, in East Sussex, was found guilty of unbefitting conduct by the tribunal. The offences only came to light after the lawyer had retired and gone to Alderney in the Channel Islands. Dawson Hart, because of his sudden retirement on health grounds looked over the books. It was found that he had conducted improper money transfers, misused client accounts which led to the tribunal convicting him of dishonesty, especially considering his expertise and long service. The former Ashdown Forest Lawyer was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £5,128.

‘Two Solicitors in trouble – one struck off ‘

LAWYERS MICHAEL WILLIAM WOOD and ALAN BURDETT of Preston, appeared before a Disciplinary tribunal in relation to charges of taking money from client accounts, utilising cash for their own purposes.  That they did not adequately maintain the accounts, failed to supervise staff, acted in a conflict of interests, and committed misconduct in their having taken unfair advantage by using their professional position.  It was heard that Michael Wood had previously appeared before the tribunal and obviously disregarded the advice given.  He had misled on a loan application/agreement, and was deemed to be main offender. He was struck off. Alan Burdett was given a suspension for 12 months for his minor role.

‘ Lawyer disregards professional duties for dishonest dealings ‘

SOLICITOR NICHOLAS ROBERTS of Worthing, in West sussex, faced a series of charges put before him at the tribunal. He was found guilty of misconduct, allowing a shortfall in the client account, took payments from client monies without consent, improperly withdrew cash from the client account, knowingly assisted directors of a limited company to continue trading in the name of that company that had been struck off the Companies House Register, assisted directors to avoid the consequences of a winding up petition, improperly used his client account for the benefit of a sole client and assisted a client by acting in a manner that was false and misleading to third parties.  He was also cited for not keeping proper records. An investigation had been launched by the OSS prior to his appearance.  The tribunal found that he acted dishonestly and impugned the reputation of the profession.  He was struck off.

‘ Excessive bill Solicitor ‘dressed up transfers to look legitimate’

LAWYER STANLEY DARLINGTON a solicitor from Pinner, Middlesex, was deemed unfit to continue in the profession by a tribunal.  He faced charges of transferring funds from the client account in breach of the regulations.  Rendering excessive bills to clients that were judged to be improper. For a time it was said, he continued in business without a certificate, and acted with impropriety, knowing it was wrong. He’d used client money for his own purposes and made transfers that had been ‘dressed-up’ to look legal in the account. The tribunal ordered him to be struck off and costs of £6,816 were levied.

‘ Convicted theft Lawyer denied return to the Roll ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID BENHAM from Southwark in South London, was turned down when he made his application to the tribunal. The Lawyer formerly with Blacks and Co. Artillery Passage, London. E1, had previously appeared at Winchester Crown Court, and was convicted on 11 counts of theft and sent to jail for 6 months.  The tribunal said what he’d done amounted to serious offences of dishonesty and decided he could not be permitted to be a practising solicitor again. He was ordered to pay £832.50 costs and struck off permanently.

‘ Suspension for misconduct Solicitor ‘

LAWYER RONALD ANTHONY CAMACHO appeared before the tribunal accused of utilising client cash for his own benefit and using the client account funds for the benefit of other clients not entitled to the funds. It was stated that he failed to keep proper accounts and improperly claimed costs from clients who had legal aid certification, and that he inflated the costs, also acting as a supervisor, he became involved in mortgage fraud. The tribunal ordered him to be indefinitely suspended.

‘ Lawyer struck off for misconduct ‘

SOLICITOR GEORGE SAINTHOUSE from Tyne and Wear, was formally accused of conduct unbefitting a solicitor and withdrew money from the client account in circumstances not permitted. It was also revealed that he failed his clients and the profession by not having indemnity insurance in place to protect funds.  He was ordered to pay £1,875 costs and struck off the Roll.

‘ Deceiving Solicitor is suspended ‘

LAWYER GARETH WYN THOMAS from Dollis Hill Lane, London, a solicitor with Charles Robinson and Son, was found guilty by the tribunal of unbefitting conduct and improper transfers.  There were cash shortages on the ledgers and he’d utilised client cash improperly. It was said he misled a client, and went onto mislead an advisor from the Chelsea branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau. He was ordered to pay £19,517 costs and suspended.

‘ Two lawyers face tribunal over impropriety ‘

SOLICITORS DAVID J BULTITUDE and NICHOLAS RITSON appeared before the tribunal for withdrawing money from the client account, utilising client money for their own purposes and failing to keep proper accounts. The tribunal found Bultitude mainly responsible in that he had signed the cheque to transfer money from the client account to the office account, and that he had acted dishonestly. He was struck off — Ritson was given a reprimand and ordered to pay costs of £500.

‘ Solicitor ignores court order ‘

LAWYER CHRISTOPHER WOOD from Palmers Green, North London, was struck off the Roll after appearing before a tribunal.  He was found guilty of being deceitful and misleading in the course of a business transaction and that he failed to honour an undertaking.  He was also cited for failing to comply with a court order and not acting promptly to OSS officers.  The solicitor from Wood Green (Wood and Co. Green Lanes, N13) was ordered to pay costs of £2,754.

‘ Lawyer misleads building society and misused client funds ‘

SOLICITOR GWILYM RICHARD JENKINS of Bridgend appeared before the tribunal charged with utilising client funds for the purpose of other clients, utilising client funds for his own purpose, and attempting to mislead the building society. The tribunal decided he had clearly lied to the building society and this affirmed to the panel that he had been dishonest in relation to the conveyancing matter this referred to.  He was ordered to be struck off and had to pay £6,395 costs.

‘ Solicitor jailed for Deception is struck off ‘

LAWYER JOHN DESMOND PATEFIELD – A solicitor from the Wirral in Merseyside, appeared before Bradford Crown Court, and was convicted of attempting to obtain services by deception (in regards to a motor vehicle). The court took into account three other charges when sentencing him to 6 months in prison.  At the tribunal it was decided that he was to be struck off and ordered to pay costs of £1,397.

‘ False Document Lawyer is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR SONIA RISHI of Harrow, Middlesex was accused of creating documents which were false or misleading according to evidence provided to the tribunal.  She misled clients and embarked upon unreasonable delays besides tendering the false documents. The court heard that it was not the first time nor an isolated case, but had become her course of conduct. Dishonesty was agreed to have been proven as she wrecked some clients lives and caused havoc for others. She was struck off and ordered to pay £1,773 costs.

‘ Solicitors’ firm suspended from practising ‘

Appeal judges dismissing a ‘false conviction’ against schoolboy Ivan Fergus, who spent six months in a Young Offenders Prison for a crime he did not commit was released on the orders of Lord Justice Steyn, who told Ivan, ‘ You are entirely innocent’  He went onto say that Ivan’s defence solicitors were mainly to blame — the firm had since been suspended by the SRA and Law Society.  Ivan’s local MP said she would be seeking compensation from the Home Office — and would mount an inquiry into the Police and Crown Prosecution Service…that MP was Harriet Harmon!

‘Solicitor leaks documents made available to him’

Councillor Gill Haynes of Brighton was told she could raise the matter with the Bar Council if she wished after attending court.  In spite of what appeared to be a serious contempt of court by the Defence Lawyer, Police Superintendent John Bishop claimed the matter was not police responsibility and he had no intention of raising the matter with The Lord Chancellor’s Office.  The case concerned an assault attack.

‘Two Barristers arrested in MTIC VAT fraud — HMRC’

Two Barristers were arrested and interviewed in connection with a VAT Scam known as ‘missing trader’ the intra-community (MTIC) Carousel fraud. This involved the importing of high value goods VAT Free from EU countries — then sold on as VAT inclusive prices through another chain of contrived transactions — then to be exported.  The two Barristers were not named in the report (Sept 30 – 2011)

‘ Judge’s fury over solicitor’s £74,000 legal fee for £13,000 case’

A Senior Judge hit out at a law firm in the ‘no-win, no-fee’ game. Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger hit out at the firm Irwin Mitchell a Personal Injury team of lawyers who charged £250 an hour — to be doubled in the event it won the case. The litigant plumber Adrian Simooe received £12,750 in compensation for his injury, while his solicitors picked up a huge £74,000. His Justice commented, ‘ This was not a particularly exceptional case, it is therefore hoped that the changes which are in the process of being enacted will help ensure that costs become more proportional’

Time for another update from the Disciplinary Tribunal lists — solicitors committing client account misuse etc.

SOLICITOR  LESLEY MARIANNA ALBERICI

SOLICITOR  IAN CHARLES CORBRIDGE

SOLICITOR  DAVID JONATHAN JACKSON

SOLICITOR   FLEUR ANGHARD PALMER

SOLICITOR  MARTIN  FLORIAN BROOMHEAD

SOLICITOR  ABRAHAM  VERGHESE

SOLICITOR   NATHAN IYER

SOLICITOR  RASHPAL SINGH

SOLICITOR   ANDREW OBINNA KALU ONYEARU

SOLICITOR  CHARLES OBINNA ODIALHI SPIROPOULOS

SOLICITOR  LIAM  GERARD MCELEAVEY

SOLICITOR  JUDE NZEAKO

SOLICITOR  ROBERT WARREN HEATLEY

SOLICITOR  MOHAMMED RIAZ

SOLICITOR  DINESH PARMAR

SOLICITOR  OGBONDAH  NKEM OMUDU

SOLICITOR   COLIN RICHARD NORTH

SOLICITOR  ADEORIKE  ADESEMOWO

SOLICITOR  TAYO ALAFE-ALUKO

SOLICITOR  HARJIT SINGH KANG

SOLICITOR   DIANE CLARE HARPER

SOLICITOR  AURANGZEB KHAN

SOLICITOR   JACOB  OLADIPUPO ILARA

SOLICITOR  OLUTOBI DANIEL FAYEMIWO

SOLICITOR  SUSAN ELIZABETH HUDSON

SOLICITOR  AURANG KHATTAK

SOLICITOR   KHAWAS KHAN

SOLICITOR  STEPHEN DAVID BARON

SOLICITOR  JOHN HENRY SYDNEY TODD

SOLICITOR   TIMOTHY HOWARD JOHNSON

SOLICITOR  ROBIN ALASTAIR JACKSON

SOLICITOR  JOHN BARRY SALMON

We would have liked to feature their cases in full but having a huge casebook and file yet to do we needed space

‘ Human Rights Lawyers accused of Bullying Tactics ‘

Lawyers who specialise in Human Rights Law have been accused of carrying out a bullying campaign to pull out of a ‘back-to-work’ flagship scheme. They are said to have approached bosses of Tesco, Holland and Barrett, Boots and others over the welfare benefit to work free for stores as experience. This blew up when it was revealed that Cait Reilly was made to stack shelves in order to keep her benefits — lawyers said this breached the Human rights act.

‘ NHS Solicitor gets £100,000 in death cover-up’

A report said NHS Lawyer Kate Levy asked a doctor to suppress information of how a patient died, won a payout of £100,000 after she was dismissed as Head of Legal services at the Stafford Hospital for ‘wrongful and Unfair Dismissal’  She took her employers to a tribunal and it was revealed that they sacked her on the matter of a request she had made to consultant Ivan Phan over a report he had written into the death of John Moore-Robinson, a patient at the hospital. The report contained suggestions of negligence, the lawyer asked him to delete the criticism to avoid adverse publicity.

‘ Law Student in vile racist Twitter message’

The future career of Law Student Joshua Cryer was confiscated by his own making after he posted racist remarks on the website Twitter. He attacked Stan Collymore a former Liverpool footballer. On being interviewed by police he claimed he hadn’t done it and it must be a hacker. But he later admitted to sending offensive messages in court. District Judge Stephen Earl gave him a two-year community order and 240 hours unpaid work.

‘Blunder by Lawyer leads to suicide by the victim ‘

Teenager Dana Baker hanged herself after her Barrister David Jones made a blunder that halted a trial.  It is reported that Barrister and Prosecutor David Jones breached strict legal guidelines on witness contact when he discussed the case with her at his house. The trial of the man who raped her from the age of 13 was compromised and the judge halted it. David Jones resigned from the Bar shortly afterwards. A lawyer of 40 years standing, Jones was working for The CPS.

‘Fat Cat Lawyers should be on trial’

The case concerned a dog, a letterbox and suffering a nip from the animal…and a ‘no-win, no-fee’ lawyers firm. The person bitten! contacted the lawyers saying she was suffering stress and anxiety etc over the incident.  The elderly couple not exactly rich, offered to pay her £1,000 as they had no insurance covering their pet.  Shortly after a few weeks of letters etc, the lawyers sent them a bill of £17,000. There you have it, brazen greed!!

‘ Two Jailed Lawyers are Struck Off ‘

SOLICITORS YASIN ABDUL MOHAMMED and ROBERT GLOVER PICKLES were both struck off the Roll by the tribunal because of their conduct as solicitors prior to going to prison.  Improper use of accounts and general misconduct satisfied the tribunal. Each had to pay costs of £7,018. Both worked at the Practice Yasin & Co, George St, Oldham.  Mohammed appeared at Manchester Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, he was jailed for 18 months.  Pickles appeared before Preston Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to to making an untrue statement to obtain a passport. He was jailed for 12 months.

‘ Solicitor acts dishonestly and retained client funds ‘

LAWYER MICHAEL J.HARVEY of George St, Luton. Appeared before the tribunal accused of allowing a client account to be used improperly, and unjustified. He also swore out affidavits that he knew were to be false or untrue, or at the least, inaccurate.  In regard to client funds he was said to have improperly retained funds from the client account and refused to release them.  The tribunal on summing up found that he acted dishonestly and therefore ordered that he be struck off.  He was ordered to pay costs of £14,724.

‘ Lawyer uses client money for himself ‘

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY NIGEL HUSBANDS of Hinderwell, North Yorkshire, was struck off by the tribunal after it was revealed that he used money belonging to a trust fund for his own purposes. It was also noted that continued to keep his practice running despite being on an indefinite suspension — previously, the tribunal had refused his application to lift the suspension. He was also accused of misleading a client and failed to act with the OSS accordingly. The tribunal unanimously ordered that he was to be struck off.

‘ Barrister steals from his own firm ‘

BARRISTER DAVID FRIESNER of Manchester stole around £70,000 from his own firm to support his own private failing property holdings. He needed cash desperately to ease two unsecured loans amounting to a million pounds.  He convinced his chambers to loan him cash on 12 previous occasions, but the market was not in a good way and refurbishing the properties was costly. Friesner admitted to theft when he appeared before Leeds Crown Court. He was jailed for seven years.

‘ Client Funds misuse gets solicitor struck off ‘

LAWYER HARGOPAL BAINS of Rochester, Kent, did not impress the tribunal who said that they did not believe he acted in a proper and honest manner. He did not keep proper accounts and transferred money from the client account to the office account, and utilised client funds for his own benefit. He was also accused of failing to deal with the OSS in the expected manner appropriate for a solicitor. In his defence he said things got tough when a partner resigned.  The tribunal struck him off and ordered him to pay costs of £1,570.

‘ Lawyer in deception over cheques ‘

SOLICITOR OWAIN D JONES of Conwy, Gwynedd, was accused of diverting cheques to himself when he worked at Guthrie, Jones and Jones. When he appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, he was charged with 12 counts, but found guilty on two — procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception in the respect of two cheques. He was jailed for 6 months for each count to run concurrently.  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £4,927.

‘ Lying Crash Solicitor is jailed ‘

LAWYER FRANCIS BRIDGEMAN had everything but chose to lie over a drink-drive incident. The Millionaire lawyer was charged with perverting the course of justice when he appeared before Lewes Crown Court. He was jailed for 12 months after the court heard that he spun a web of lies and deceit after crashing his car whilst drunk. On his way home to his mansion in Wadhurst, East Sussex, he crashed into a telegraph pole. On getting out in one piece he set off home on foot for three hours so that his alcohol test might be lowered enough to get away with it when the police arrived at the house. But that didn’t come off as he was still over the limit on a test. He then concocted a story that he was kidnapped and that the assailants drove his car away. But he hadn’t reckoned on CCTV footage at a railway station after a binge which showed him the worse for wear. He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £4,200 costs.

‘ Manslaughter Lawyer pleads to be struck off ‘

 SOLICITOR LESLIE HUMES of Marshgate, and the firm of HICKMOTTS of Mansfield House in Doncaster applied to the tribunal to have himself struck-off. He had been jailed for seven years after committing manslaughter by Sheffield Crown Court. It was said he killed his wife in front of their children.  The tribunal concurred and struck him off and ordered him to pay a nominal cost of £688.

‘ Misconduct Solicitor acted fraudulently ‘

LAWYER PHILIP TOTENHOFER of Brightlingsea in Essex, was said by the tribunal to have practised without a certificate for a period, committed unbefitting conduct, utilised client account money for his own benefit and did not keep proper accounts. It also emerged that overcharged clients for work done, and was found to have acted fraudulent and deceitful contrary to his position as a solicitor. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £500.

‘ Lawyer suspended indefinitely for misconduct ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID R DAYKIN of Vicarage Road, London E10 appeared before the tribunal where it was stated, he failed to comply with an adjudication panel, used unnecessary delays, failed to pay out compensation to clients, and abandoned his practice firm in Walthamstow.  The tribunal concluded that he acted dishonestly — his behaviour had been reported to the tribunal on three occasions considering his disregard to duties which he owed to his clients, and that he’d practised without the appropriate insurance needed to safeguard client funds. He was suspended indefinitely by the tribunal who said the compensation remedies would be addressed as if ordered by the High Court.

‘Conveyance Solicitor and Land Registry Officer in homes theft scam’

LAWYER CHARLES SPIROPOULAS was accused by the court as a key conspirator in a huge ‘steal the homes from the elderly scam’ involving a Land Registry Officer — Surjeet Chana. Co-conspirators, a bank manager and trafficker in drugs made millions by ‘officially stealing’ the homes from elderly vulnerable people.  £3.8 million’s worth of homes were targettted– empty houses left behind as the owners moved into care. When a property had been selected after keeping an eye on it, the gang put up signs. After a while if no-one enquired the ‘legal aspect’ was put into operation and that’s when the land registry officer took over — the obtaining of copies of signatures on the original title deeds, then in came the solicitor to enact the ‘legitimate’ sale. These two are to be sentenced later for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. The others pleaded guilty to money-laundering.

More from the tribunal on solicitors involved in client money misuse and other matters:

SOLICITOR   RICHARD JAMES BURLEY

SOLICITOR   KEITH HAYWARD

SOLICITOR   TREVOR BAKER

SOLICITOR  ANTHONY WARREN BIRCHALL

SOLICITOR   JOHN DOMINIC RYAN

SOLICITOR   RICHARD ANTHONY PAGE JONES

SOLICITOR  AKPEUWE VANESSA SCOTT-EMUAKPOR

SOLICITOR  QUMAR BILAL HASHMI

SOLICITOR   KAREN ELIZABETH HARRISON

SOLICITOR   JOHN ALEXANDER

SOLICITOR  WILLIAM JAMES ALEXANDER

SOLICITOR  JULIO PEREZ

SOLICITOR  ANONA MAIR WILLIAMS

SOLICITOR   ELENA WYN REA

SOLICITOR   ROBERT JAMES COOK

SOLICITOR  MICHAEL JAMES STIBBARD

SOLICITOR  RAJESH SHAH

SOLICITOR  ANDREW JAMES CAMERON BANFILL

SOLICITOR  ROGER DEREK CORAL

SOLICITOR   CHUKWUMA EMELE

SOLICITOR  DAMIEN KENE NSUGBE

SOLICITOR  HENRY ONWUBIKO

Hopefully later we can look into the individual cases regarding this list.

‘Solicitors sued by daughters to business tycoon ‘

Four daughters of deceased father, Christopher Swain, are suing the un-named firm of solicitors who handled their father’s for giving bad advice in regard to tax.  They have claimed the firm acted negligently in delaying the sale of shares until after his surgery. The case has gone to appeal.

‘Lawyers run off with £400,000 from family home’

Gary Humphris and his family were delighted when their offer of £400,000 cash was accepted on their dream house in Sidcup, Kent.  They took up residence as early as they could and spent £70,000 on renovations during the following six months.  Suddenly they were served a paper that said they didn’t own the house and that it was the subject of a repossession order.  Two solicitors who handled the sale for the family have fled after failing to pass on the money to the seller. One man in connection with the fraud has been jailed for two and a half years. The family were amazed to get their offer accepted as the property was on the market for half a million, but the solicitors said the £400,000 offer worked but it had to be bought almost immediately, so they gave the solicitors the transferred funds, who in turn said it would go to the buyer. Investigations revealed that the sellers owed over £540,000 to mortgage firms and that the sale should never have been permitted. The SRA closed down the solicitors firm which cannot be named?  and the regulator said there were a number of outstanding claims relating to the two solicitors. The SRA said there was a compensation fund for this type of crime, but they urged the family to be patient.

‘ Family Court Lawyers exploit the system ‘

A legal expert said that the big problem with Family Law, was that it was adversarial and that meant that hordes of law firms and lawyers exist to exploit the emotional hearings and make as much money as they can.  They often raise the level of aggression between the parties and then clean you out of every penny. They are masters of delay and often create new dilemmas that needs more paperwork, more files and this of course generates the bills he said. Often, you see three lawyers turn up brandishing their little case and bags, one with a laptop and they just sit there watching the time go by.  It is often the case of one party having one lawyer whilst the other turns up with three and a trainee, who they claim needs to be there for tutorial practice.  Family law is ‘judicial’ and is made up by judges as they go along. There is no proper code of practice and no proper code of laws, except that they tend to follow previous rulings. So be warned, your barrister may end up not finishing his speech as the judge may prevent this as it is their show!

‘ Seven Lawyers abuse the system and one goes to prison ‘

SOLICITORS MICHAEL JAMES PALMER, ANTHONY COWEN, ALISTAIR LANGFORD, NICHOLAS FORBES PLAUT, JOHN CLEMENTSON, MARTIN PETER VARLEY and DAVID JOHN CARR disgraced the legal profession in that they misused client accounts, used the money for their own purposes. Palmer had been convicted of dishonesty and sent to prison after being found guilty of fifteen offences.  Palmer of Gloucestershire was struck off by the Tribunal. Cowen of London was found guilty of a conflict of interests and was also struck off. Alastair Langford of Fairmays, Babmaes St, London was also struck off.  Nicholas Plaut of Fairmays was fined £24,000, as was John Clementson. Martin Varley was fined £14,000 and David Carr received a reprimand.  It was said in court that they had misused £248,927 belonging to clients of the firm.

‘ Lawyer receives suspended jail sentence ‘

SOLICITOR JEFFREY STEPHEN GROSSMAN pleaded guilty when he was brought before the judge at Sheffield Crown Court when he answered charges of theft.  It was stated that he had misappropriated client funds at his own firm of GROSSMAN & CO.  He was accused of using £82,500 of client money for his own use.  He was given a jail sentence of eighteen months suspended for two years.  He was ordered to pay tribunal costs of £1,721.38

‘ False Accounting Solicitor gets Community service ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY MERYCK TEARE of Liverpool Road, Eccles, Manchester, appeared before Manchester Crown Court charged with theft and dishonesty — he pleaded guilty to three counts of false accounting. He had a long experience of being a solicitor which baffled the judge as to why he had committed the offences.  In view of this the Judge gave him a Community Punishment Order of 100 hours unpaid work.  The Disciplinary Tribunal ordered that he should be struck off and pay costs of £998.

‘ Solicitor involved in forgery sent to jail for 15 months ‘

LAWYER ANTHONY LAWTON of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to five charges of forgery when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court. One charge related to him being a Director of a company whilst being an undischarged bankrupt. One other charge was of obtaining services by deception — two counts of obtaining property by deception — he pleaded guilty to six of the ten charges brought against him.  The judge sentenced him to fifteen months in prison. He also voluntarily applied to have himself removed from the roll which was granted by the tribunal who ordered him to pay costs of £495.

‘ Two Lawyers in client account misuse and clerk misconduct ‘

SOLICITORS MATTHEW GAUNTLETT and SARAH BEVERIDGE appeared before the tribunal accused of conduct unbefitting solicitors along with misuse of client accounts.  Most of the case against them centred around solicitor’s clerk PETER FORD of Yately, Hampshire, an unadmitted clerk, who had already been convicted of a criminal offence — he had made illegal movements of client money that amounted to the laundering of the proceeds of crime.  Both solicitors were suspended for one year each. Costs amounted to £5,900 for Matthew Gauntlett, and £5,900 for Sarah Beveridge.

‘ Four Solicitors with forged insurance certificate intended to deceive ‘

LAWYERS URIAH BAJELA, CLEMENT COLLISON, SOLOMAN TACKIE-OBLIE and FREDERICK ANAFI found themselves in serious misconduct trouble.  The Basingstoke Solicitors, one being Bajela, was convicted of using a forged insurance certificate with intent to deceive. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £70.  As a solicitor of the Supreme Court, it was found that he had acted fraudulently, misused client account funds.  Collison and Tackie-Oblie were found guilty of improperly using client funds for their own benefit. Knowing of Bajela’s misconduct they failed to report it to the Society.  Anafi was found guilty of failing to disclose material to a client, and failed to act in the best interests of clients.  All four were ordered to be struck off and the costs were accumulative and set at £66,000.

‘ Dishonest Lawyer and false accounting leads to jail ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN CROSSLEY CULPAN of North Yorkshire, a solicitor with Messrs Culpan Vizor, Midland Bank Chambers, Worcestershire, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court. He was convicted of nineteen counts of false accounting — misuse of client accounts and dishonesty. He pleaded guilty and received eighteen months in prison — it was reduced on appeal to nine months.  The tribunal struck him off and he was ordered to pay costs of £6,311.

‘ Solicitor gets 3 years for Theft ‘

LAWYER CHARLES WESLEY ABOAGYE a Hounslow Solicitor appeared at Southwark Crown Court in connection with theft charges. It was stated that he abused client accounts, withdrew monies and used it for his own personal use.  He was convicted of theft and was sentenced to three years in prison.  At his tribunal it was heard that he removed £274,381 from client accounts, and although they were told he was preparing an appeal against his sentence, the tribunal felt that his dishonesty was admitted at the court and therefore he was struck off.

‘ Deceitful Lawyer is convicted of six offences ‘

SOLICITOR CHARLES CLUTTON of STEGGLES SOLICITORS of St John’s St, Chester, appeared before the Knutsford Crown Court and was convicted of six offences. He was convicted under The Environmental Protection Act and fined £9,000 for making a false statement and two counts of furnishing false information. The fine was to be paid within six months — failure to do so meant the default of 45 days in prison.

‘ Drunk Solicitor is fined and struck off ‘

LAWYER LINDA JESSIE LAZONBY a solicitor with LONSDALES SOLICITORS of Lytham Rd, Blackpool was convicted at South Lakes Magistrates Court of being drunk in a public place, obstructing a police officer in his duty, and using threatening, abusive, insulting words with the intention of or to cause fear or provocation. On the first charge she was fined £70 with costs of £44, on the second charge she was fined £200 with costs of £250, and on the third charge £150.  The tribunal decided in the light of this that she should be struck off for unbefitting and unprofessional conduct not expected from a solicitor.

‘ Overcharging Lawyer convicted of dishonesty ‘

SOLICITOR KAMAL JEET SINGH BRAM was found guilty of complying with an order of the court and wasting the court’s time.   He was also found guilty of overcharging clients and dishonesty.  It was said in court that he failed to pay a claimant compensation of £875 and refund costs of £250 in a court judgement. The tribunal assessing his case said he had ignored the OSS on several occasions.  They ordered him to repay £1,000 to the claimant and struck off the Shropshire Lawyer.

‘ Client Money thefts led Solicitor to 6 months in jail ‘

LAWYER DAVID HAMILTON BENHAM found himself being brought before Winchester Crown Court on eleven counts of theft.  It was found that he had acted dishonestly towards clients and ordered to pay compensation of £73,229 besides a six month prison sentence. The theft of client cash happened whilst he had power of attorney over their wills and assets.  He was prohibited from being restored to the roll after the tribunal decided to have him struck off.

‘ False Document Lawyer sentenced to 18 months ‘

SOLICITOR NEIL CLOUTMAN of Newport, Gwent, and with TUDOR ROSE SOLICITORS was convicted of preparing false documents in a property transaction. It was said he ‘assisted dishonest individuals in the furtherance of criminal activities’  The Judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison suspended for two years. The tribunal on receiving the notification of the court’s deliberation decided to have him struck off, and he was ordered to pay £2,300 in costs.

‘ Solicitor found guilty of perverting the course of justice ‘

LAWYER JANET LEFTON found herself appearing before Cardiff Crown Court on a charge of perverting the course of justice.  It was stated in court that she had deliberately lied in a statement to the police over her son, saying that her son had no recollection of who was driving at the time of an accident, when it was him, implying that it might have been someone else.  Further enquiries showed this not to be so and she was arrested. The court found her guilty of perjury and she was sentenced to three months in jail.  The tribunal later decided to have her struck off due to the nature of the crime.

‘ False Information Lawyer gets Community Order ‘

SOLICITOR ERIEN DUBASH of CLEVELAND & CO. SOLICITORS, appeared before Southwark Crown Court facing charges under The Theft Act.  She was said to have furnished false information in relation to dealing with Transport for London, and was ordered to pay them compensation of £3,885. 70.  The solicitor of Whitechapel Road, was given a Community service order requiring her to do 200 hours of unpaid work.  Further to that she was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £8,000, struck off the roll by the tribunal and had to pay £600 costs.

‘ £2 million Money-laundering Solicitor gets jail time ‘

LAWYER GERARD HYDE of Priory Gardens, London W5. Hyde who worked at the firm EVANS DODD appeared at Southwark Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to concealing or disguising the proceeds of criminal conduct.  It was said in court that for eight months he dealt in money-laundering to the amount of £2 million and used the firm’s accounts to give the transactions legal credibility — and had off-shore accounts.  The court jailed him for forty-two months. The tribunal had him struck-off and ordered him to pay costs of £1,128.

‘ Lawyer plunders deceased estates ‘

SOLICITOR ALAN BENSTOCK received a sentence of 22 months in prison after appearing at Leeds Crown Court. A partner in the firm THE LISTER CROFT PARTNERSHIP in Wakefield, was convicted of nine offences of theft. The court heard how he helped himself to deceased clients estates over a period of nearly five months before being found out.  The tribunal sitting to deliberate on his conviction, heard that he had been un-cooperative with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They unanimously decided to have him struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £19,040.

‘ Council Solicitor forged documents gets two years ‘

LAWYER HELEN HERBERT a lawyer with Llanelli Borough Council appeared before Camarthen Crown Court charged with four counts of forgery and one count of misfeasance in public office.  It was said in court that she forged documents on the local authority file. The court sentenced her to 2 years conditional discharge leaving a further four counts remaining on file. The tribunal announced that she had applied to have herself removed from the Solicitors Roll.

‘ Theft Lawyer in cheques scandal at firm ‘

SOLICITOR ELIZABETH HANDLEY of Ackham in Middlesbrough, appeared before Durham Crown Court facing four counts of theft, four counts of false accounting — she was ordered to pay £6,000 to the firm Messrs FREERS SOLICITORS.  It was heard that she was involved in personal injury claims at the firm, and while doing so issued cheques to her husband on three occasions (the court did not find him complicit in these matters), and the amount stolen was in excess of £9,600 over a period of months.  The tribunal sitting to consider the case had her struck off and ordered her to pay costs of £1,576.

‘ Manslaughter Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER LESLIE HUMES of Marshgate, Doncaster who was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court of killing his wife in the presence of his children — they have four children, was sent to prison for seven years.  At his tribunal appeal it was decided in the view of his crime that he should be struck off and was ordered to pay costs of £688.

‘ Work Permit Fraud Lawyer appears in Court ‘

SOLICITOR LORRAINE FORREST a solicitor who dealt with Immigration matters at the firm LEWIS SILKIN, was convicted of forgery and counterfeiting. The lawyer from Bousfield Rd, London formerly worked with the firm S.J.BERWIN and it was heard that this was where the criminal idea started.  The court decided on six counts and sentenced her to 100 hours of community service and a two year rehabilitation order.  The tribunal decided that she should be struck off and ordered her to pay costs of £1.096.

‘ Client Money Theft Solicitor gets 9 months jail ‘

LAWYER JILL HOLLANDS of the firm SHUTTLEWORTH AND CO, Bexhill on Sea, appeared before Lewes Crown Court on theft charges.  It was heard in court that she deliberately utilised client accounts for her own purpose and when she was arrested she confessed it to the police.  She was found guilty on two counts of theft and attempted theft of client funds.  The court sentenced her to nine months in prison — the tribunal sitting to consider her case decided she should be struck off the solicitors roll.

‘ Five years in prison for fraud Lawyer ‘

SOLICITOR TITUS MIRANDA of Lowestoft, Suffolk received a five year jail sentence when he appeared before The Crown Court on charges of conspiracy to defraud and making bogus claims in order to obtain cash from the system.  He was charged with others involved in the placing of Chinese People brought in by sophisticated criminals who exploited them for large amounts of money.  The judge said he showed no signs of remorse and brazenly tried to defend the indefensible when speaking to the jury.  The tribunal who considered his conviction decided to have him struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £2.085.

‘ Two brother solicitors struck off for taking client cash ‘

LAWYERS NEIL SHARPLEY and JEREMY SHARPLEY, brothers who worked in the Coroners Department appeared before a tribunal. Neil Sharpley who worked at the Coroner’s office in Louth,  – Coroner and District Assistant Coroner, were found guilty of stealing £22,000 from client accounts in order to take care of debts they incurred.  They pleaded guilty to breaching accounting rules, misapplied estate funds, improper ledger transfers despite denying dishonesty.  The tribunal said they could not accept the latter denial and said their conduct was dishonest.  They were both struck off and dismissed from their posts in the Coroner’s Office.

‘ Trainee Barrister arrested over Drugs ‘

TRAINEE BARRISTER HENRY MOSTYN was arrested outside a nightclub by police, but later released with a caution for having cocaine and ecstacy tablets.  The son of Sir Nicholas Mostyn a senior barrister and judge, had to appear before a disciplinary tribunal following the incident.  The tribunal said it was ‘ a lamentable lack of judgement’ on his part and fined him £605 including costs. Henry Mostyn was called to the bar in 2011 and works at the London Chambers 4 New Square. He was warned that the incident would have an impact in regard to visas if he travelled overseas, especially in strict drug law countries where they would probably disallow him entry.

‘ Rogue Lawyers — yet another promise to have public shame list ‘

This promise of lists on bad and bent lawyers is almost an ‘ eternal pie in the sky proposition’ that never comes about. For twenty years they have talked about openness but in reality opposed it.  When it was suggested a few years ago lawyers tore at it and suggested proposals that made it unworkable, and knew that to be the case after considering how they could wreck the idea.  The Legal Ombudsman says it is out to reveal the identities of the shoddiest solicitors and law firms!  Over the years, the Legal Ombudsman has claimed it has in 67 percent of cases brought, found in the client and consumers favour.  It is a long known fact that official complaints has always been a problem against the legal profession — as said by Jill Johnstone Director of Consumer Focus. People are routinely put off from criticising a solicitor and often what follows confirms this when they approach the Law Society who go into immediate damage limitation mode.  The Ombudsman gets 76,000 calls a year from the disgruntled public…. and it is a sad reflection that around only 8,400 of these are being investigated.  Most complaints are about extortionate costs and those client accounts!  The Ombudsman boasts of being able to award £30,000 against a lawyer or firm for anyone who is successful in their claim against a solicitor or barrister.

‘ Solicitors too busy trying to conceal and wipe out published facts ‘

LIM LEAGLE of Stourbridge we have found are in the business of ‘wiping history completely out’ for their policeman clients, despite the fact their clients have been featured in newspapers that published the stories. It is indeed an amazing feat to make history disappear ‘legally?’ perhaps the History books might be done the same in this ‘legal move’  example – Britain didn’t have a World War Two’ there was no ‘Holocaust’ it must be removed in order to avoid defamation or hurt to feelings…Lim Legal should apply this to the History Books and bring an action to remove this embarrassing history fact in the interest of Britain’s future because it didn’t happen!  We actually mentioned two police officers: Peter Harnwell a cop in the 80’s who was accused of deception, but as they pointed out the charge was dropped in court, but that still doesn’t alter the fact that at one stage he was accused of it. As in the case of Philip Boak a cop who was accused of perverting the course of justice, he too had the case dropped at a later hearing, but fact wise, his story was in a daily paper at the time and read by the public, and we cannot see why they wait until now to remove a fact that was previously published, but Lim Legal insisted this fact should be conveniently swept away because their clients felt it hurt them some twenty five years later.  We tried to check out LIM LEGAL looking into Matthew Collins LLB ‘paralegal’ and Kimberely Bagnell.  It was rather strange to see the CPS type badge on their letterheads and a routine check with Company House resulted in no company of that name being thrown up on the screen…so we couldn’t look into their background, staff or company.  Barry Smith is Managing Director, but he refused to answer questions without determining the use of the answers, though we doubt there would have been any. Mind you, we have had some interesting ones from e-mailers who contacted our box request on our home page…. at least Lim Legal cannot censor the Internet users….so we are filing them in order to consolidate them as an article later after our P.I. has done some investigating and joining the dots.

‘ Legal Aid — The Lawyers moneymaking Racket ‘

CRIMINAL LEGAL AID has been criticised by the Police for a great many years, and articles in their own ‘Police Magazines’ allege that solicitors automatically recommend clients to seek more expensive and lengthy trials in the Crown Court wherever possible, instead of a hearing in the Magistrates Court.  Similar views and allegations have been made by The Justices Clerks Society which wants the right to jury trial removed in ‘either way’ offences.  One court official said glibly ‘ Wherever the smell of money is, you will find the Lawyers nearby’

NOW ONTO ANOTHER LIST OF DISCIPLINE TRIBUNAL HEARINGS and lawyers facing charges of false accounting, breaches of accounting, client account misuse, dishonesty and more;

SOLICITOR  CHARLES VARGHESE

SOLICITOR   MOHAMMED AFTAB

SOLICITOR   STUART GRAHAM HANLEY

SOLICITOR  NICHOLAS KENNETH EVANS

SOLICITOR  JOSEPH MCBRIDE

SOLICITOR  PETER JOHN HARRISON

SOLICITOR  SHAHIN RAHMAN

SOLICITOR  DAVID RUDOLPH HEINRICH

SOLICITOR  BERNARD BERNSTEIN

SOLICITOR  CYRIL HARAS-GUMMER

SOLICITOR RACHEL LLOYD WILLIAMS

SOLICITOR OLABOWEI DIRIWARI

SOLICITOR IGONIBO R. AWOLOYE-KIO

SOLICITOR  ANDREW FIELD

SOLICITOR  GEOFFREY BLAKEY

SOLICITOR BHASKAR SUBRAMANIAM

SOLICITOR  JAMES HOLLINGWORTH

SOLICITOR  SANDRO  PLACIDI

SOLICITOR  MARK K.G. BENNETT

SOLICITORS BENNETTS LAW PRACTICE LTD

SOLICITOR  JONATHAN JACOBS

SOLICITOR  NEIL ANTHONY KELLY

SOLICITOR  RIZWAN AHMED

SOLICITOR  SUSAN ELIZABETH HUDSON

SOLICITOR  KEVIN BARRY MURTAGH

SOLICITOR  EJAZ  AHMAD

SOLICITOR  OKEIMUTE OHRE-EMUOBOSA

SOLICITORS  ANDREWS SOLICITORS

SOLICITOR  ANDREW  ONYEARU

SOLICITOR  HANJIT DLAY

SOLICITOR  RICHARD ROBERTS

SOLICITOR  PETER CHAHAL

SOLICITOR  MARCUS  H. RICKARD

SOLICITOR  DAVID BRADSHAW MEDLEY

SOLICITOR  ABRODUN  ODUNLAMI

SOLICITOR  JEREMY M. BENNETT

SOLICITOR  CHARLES DUNBAR

SOLICITORS  CHASE SOLICITORS

SOLICITOR  ALEXANDER  ADEYEMO

SOLICITORS  M. H. LEGAL LTD.

SOLICITOR  ANDREW B. SIMPSON

SOLICITOR  NICHOLAS J.H. BENNETT

SOLICITOR  DOUGLAS MACDUFF  WEMYSS

SOLICITOR  MICHAEL CHARLES SIMPSON

SOLICITOR  NICHOLAS HAMPSON

SOLICITOR  CHARLES WILLIAM HUMPHREY

SOLICITOR  DAVID ABRAHAM

SOLICITOR  ROBERT DONALD KNUTSON

 ‘ Lawyers Greed based on Lawyers Crime ‘

Research has ultimately revealed that Lawyers and Money don’t mix well, and being well paid is never enough for many solicitors who appear before the day to day weekly Disciplinary Tribunals for offences of dishonesty, accounting breaches, and serving their own interests (in deference to their clients)  — and the big one?  Theft from client accounts  — casually referred to as ‘client account misuse’ or ‘improper transfers’ — in other words taking money from one account and putting it in another (such as their own personal account) all because they can! this is one of the biggest crimes being committed by lawyers as you will see through our pages…it is a crime of dishonesty, often concealed and lies made up to cover the crime.  Strangely, they would have us believe that they are honourable and trustworthy — who are they kidding?

‘Jailed Peer and Barrister is banned from legal working ‘

LORD TAYLOR/BARRISTER recently sent to jail for cheating on expenses appeared before a tribunal — The Bar Standards Board, and was told by the presiding judge Nicholas Riddle that he, Taylor, had committed a serious criminal offence, not just an error of judgement. The judge went onto say the Barrister had brought the judicial organisation into disrepute and therefore it was right that he should be disbarred from practice,

‘ Royal Mail legal department and debt collection’

CREDIT STYLE LTD — Royal Mail legal representatives — Rutland Road, Sheffield.  We looked into what seemed a despicable grubby debt collection agency similar to those nauseous bailiff companies specialising in threats, harassment etc,  and discovered it to be the Royal Mail Legal Dept?  It lists Steve Bramley as the Manager and has a Solicitor Brian Wrigley who is a lawyer of thirty years experience. Strange set up, but considering its name it still sounds more like a bailiff company.

‘ Legal Claim Firm Chasers in pushy mood lose £80 million for victims ‘

A new report says many victims of the mis-selling of payment protection insurance will miss out on £80 million this year (2012) — it says the cash is going straight to unscrupulous claims management firms instead of the victims they supposedly represent.  The Financial Services Ombudsman Services say they have around 165,000 complaints about PPI. It also says these quasi-legal firms often involving solicitors took around £50 million of consumers compensation for themselves.

ONTO THE FINAL LIST OF LAWYERS GOING INTO THE DOCK AT THE DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL for client account misuse, theft, false accounting and various other wrongdoings.

SOLICITOR  EDWARD JAMES WILLIAMS

SOLICITOR  STEPHEN JOHN WILLIAMS

SOLICITOR PATRICIA CARTER

SOLICITOR  DAVID CHARLES MAXWELL KENNEDY

SOLICITOR  SARFRAZ SADIQ

SOLICITOR  WILLIAM DAVID BROOKE EDMONDSON

SOLICITOR  RAJESH SHAH

SOLICITOR  ROBERT LLOYD MOSELEY

SOLICITOR  KENGAI PONNAMPALAM CHETTY

SOLICITOR  REUBEN AJUBOR EWUJOWOH

SOLICITOR  DAVID DAVIES

SOLICITOR  ANDREW DONALD VARLEY

SOLICITOR  SAMUEL OLUBUNMI ALOMO

SOLICITOR  MOHAMMED KHALIL

SOLICITOR  MUHAMMAD IRFANULLAH

SOLICITOR  NAWEED RIAZ

SOLICITOR  FARHAT HUSSAIN

SOLICITOR  ROBERT ALAN CUTTY

SOLICITOR  ALAN DOUGLAS COCKBURN

SOLICITOR  ROBERT ANDREW SCHOFIELD

SOLICITOR  MONIKA TIWARI

SOLICITOR  MUHAMMAD ABDUL MALIK

SOLICITOR DONALD SINCLAIR GILLANDERS

SOLICITOR  SUKHJINDER KAUR KOONER

SOLICITOR  NICHOLAS KENNETH EVANS

SOLICITOR  JOHN HUGH BELL

SOLICITOR  DIL PAZIR

SOLICITOR  ANWAR KHANDOKER

SOLICITOR  SAIDIA PARVEEN

SOLICITOR  VANESSA HELEN TOFIELD

SOLICITOR  PAUL JULIAN MARK BAILEY

SOLICITOR  MOHAMMED AFTAB

SOLICITOR ALAN BERRY

SOLICITOR  THOMAS ANTHONY MCGRAIL

SOLICITOR  BARRY JOHN IXER

SOLICITOR  JACKIE ELIZABETH FILTNESS

SLICITOR  ADRIAN ANTHONY AUGUSTINE HARGREAVES

SOLICITOR  RODERICK J W T MACCLANCY

SOLICITOR  EJAZ AHMED

SOLICITOR  ABI LAYTWOLA

SOLICITOR  EAMON NEVILLE MURPHY

SOLICITOR  VANDA HELENA BOATFIELD

SOLICITOR  ROBERT WARREN HEATLEY

SOLICITOR  ALEXANDER ADEBAYO ADEYEMO

SOLICITOR  ABDUL AZIZ JIMOH

‘The Achilles Heel of Lawyers v Courtroom Dominance ‘

One is reminded of how the public are very unprepared for the cross  examination of lawyers who easily bring them down without having to explain the craft of using words to create doubt. Defendants have been taken down by the mere fact they could not remember their initial statements word for word….and answered a question by introducing something not in there…thereby crashing their evidence in one go. So it would be well to request a copy of that statement and read it over and over before going to court — and reciting it perfectly without deviation from the word or line.  Lawyers in the court seem powerful, but there are three areas they are very vulnerable in….. Money earned……..Client Accounts…..and backgrounds, the latter can be checked out by various searches on the web…and those even more adept could retrieve personal information by certain methods we are told.  But the client accounts is one of the best moves…the majority of disciplinary actions are over accounting, misuse of client money and cheques that have not been properly put through accounts etc, many lawyers and solicitors have some sort of fiddle going on even with expenses….so concentrate on the ‘heel’

‘ Angry Man attempts to kill Solicitor ‘

GRUDGES AGAINST SOLICITORS are becoming more widespread and should not be discounted as mere blips, as some are well founded in these days of ‘professional cheats’  —  The attack and shooting of solicitor John Ward, the principal partner at MORRIS, GODDARD & WARD in Devizes in Wiltshire, has ‘one-sidedly’ thrown the attention of the media onto indicating a wronged lawyer set upon by a deranged man.  There is always another story as we have discovered when complaints against solicitors have gone unchecked and damage done to the complainant…the press in their ignorance often fail big time and chose not to proceed on a story because it might reflect badly on their status and ‘friendliness’ in other circles…the press have been found out in the phone hacking scandal…so remember that.  The man who walked into the solicitor’s office was a businessman, not an ex-con or mental patient…he had been reduced to ‘having no fixed abode’ and it could well prove to be that the solicitors were responsible for this and in their usual way just threw his plight aside along with the bungles and mistakes that led to the man’s predicament.

‘ Tort? or is it just how solicitors are? ‘

One great line is ‘We are living in a world of predators and prey’ — and that certainly describes solicitors and the legal system precisely…. Dishonesty is another.  In a time when ‘cold calling’ has soared by forty percent (and said to be outlawed!) — 7,000 complaints to the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2012…..we find solicitors involved,  full of denials and squirming to justify themselves as having ‘done no wrong’…The Telephone Preference Service has been found ‘wanting’ (failing customers) who thought they could place their trust in this? and it was discovered they hadn’t fined anyone or any company for breaching the system.  CCG — The Central Claims Group were shown to have lied, misled and used non-existent bogus organisations in conversations with people on the phone to deliberately cover-up their activities. They were passing on forms to solicitors as a result of cold calling pretending they were ‘referrals’….yet the solicitors rules forbid any touting for business via cold calls as a breach…but guess what?  the solicitors involved said they didn’t know how the referrals had been made, but on secret cameras it was pointed out on the forms that they were result of a cold calling method.  This cold calling was actually started by the government in the 1980’s — yes…they are the culprits too, their jobcentres used to have a programme where claimants were told to get the phone book and take it in turns to occupy several phones and keep calling people and businesses…..and the government now are claiming the praise for putting a stop to cold calling…..which of course…they haven’t!

‘ Solicitor is featured over his reluctance to go straight ‘

SOLICITOR NICHOLAS BUTCHER has one disease that simply will not go away, and that is the lust for cash in crooked set-ups.  He left jail after three and a half years for fraud but could not resist doing exactly what he did again that sent him to jail.  Masquerading as a legitimate company, WILLMAKERS OF DISTINCTION LTD were advertising they could do wills for just under £20, somewhat far too cheap according to other law firms, but it wasn’t the £20 that mattered…they were after plundering the deceased estates, and along with David Nash a former football investor, they embarked on a series of frauds and cons….which the Legal Profession took no notice of and showed no interest.  It was only when Lincolnshire police began investigating — that the lawyer and his friend were heading towards jail.  Victim Bert, had left Mary a beneficiary of the will (having been prepared and carried out by Butcher and Willmakers of Distinction) and this amounted to £40,000….but she was never going to see the money….she phoned but got no reply…and after a while she rang the police.  It was discovered that the firm had suddenly gone into liquidation? — but police tracing the liquidation proceedings found that it had been labelled ‘an unsatisfactory liquidation’ in that there was no real clear reason why it should be so. It was later found after a raid, that the trustee account had been plundered and transferred to the company account. A ploy engaged by several lawyer firms up before tribunals!  All the many ‘estates’ had no money in them…and in the search they found a ‘side-line’ being run by the firm — ‘pre-paid funerals’ (clients paying deposits and cash up front to secure burial plots etc) — but they had pocketed the cash without ever arranging anything.

‘ The Lawyers Legal Aid Fiasco — and outcome for you ‘

The real price to pay for a service ‘unfit for purpose’  LEGAL AID — that no lawyer wants to accept results in the following stark truth of the situation:  The ‘Para-Legals’ take on many of these unwanted cases because they are cheap!  LEGAL LIM is one we can think of as an example…..not because they are better qualified — just bargain basement due to the ‘competitive tendering’   The client or defendant has little alternative because of barristers fees.  The better advocates will not be found in Legal Aid cases, which only leaves the ‘inexperienced and juniors’ having a go (for practising their art for the real case later).  The rich will get the ‘Crown Jewels Treatment’ along with the best service — and ‘Joe public’ the everyday man or poor, will have to take their chances (on being disappointed mostly the odds are stacked against them).

In Addition and on the subject of Legal Aid, E.Harvey of West Sussex says this — it’s about time the taxpayer began complaining about exploitation of Legal Aid, especially in the light of the recent case involving Abu Hamsa which showed lawyers in a poor light but, unusually, features them indicating  that their comrades and colleagues elsewhere are not to be trusted either. He calls the Solicitors Profession ‘ the perfidious, parasitic legal brotherhood’ which indicates he knows them well…and says the legal aid should be for the poor and small companies who have small complaints to bring before the courts, and the remuneration of lawyers should be curtailed.

‘ Crooked ‘unqualified’ Lawyer guilty of 104 breaches of Solicitors Rules!’

It is said that the high-flying conman lawyer is now struck off?  SHAHROKH MIRESKANDARI previously mentioned over the discovery of ‘fake qualifications’ who also hid his own criminal convictions while representing clients in court cases was said to have conned his way into the UK Legal profession without too much trouble. This well ‘respected’ man actually ran a Law Firm in Central London right under the noses of the judiciary and had approval by The Law Society!  In court he was represented by 17 Barristers? during the six-week misconduct hearing.  This imposter courted the rich and powerful such as Keith Vaz Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee and disgraced Scotland Yard Commander Ali Dizael to keep around him and was regularly photographed with them at luncheons and other functions.  Anyone daring to accuse him of being a crook was met by the hostility and arrogance of the legal profession that looked to adore him, and that included colleagues at his law firm Dean and Dean, such was his influence on those that have now had to abandon him so that they didn’t get caught up in the ‘expose’ that careered into the Disciplinary tribunal. Strangely, there was no detail of who  or how he was propped up so long by colleagues in the profession, we only know they did and for some considerable time.  The list of his offences and crimes we are not going to get into because what really matters here is — how this ‘race-lawyer’ pulled off this deceit and no-one in the profession bothered in the slightest….and the only rational answer is power backed by money, the only currency the judiciary understand!

‘ What really happens in court — the miscarriage of justice ‘

Justice has no part to play in the game of Lawyers, and the ‘revered’ Legal System — it’s a complete myth and corruption dressed up to look fair?   You are led to believe that the Lawyers were absolutely required to present a true account and version of events in the courtroom, which many of them know to be false.  What you have is deliberate sabotage of each others case by the defence and prosecution (CPS) — they know this and see it as being above board because they are taught this way and have come to believe it harms no-one?  and they are very comfortable in carrying out this public game — despite it affecting the accused (and possibly sends them to jail for something they have not done).  Important evidence is easily and regularly excluded under the rules of advocacy (disclosure) — which undermines honest testimony, and plays the Jury into total confusion at times, or even worse, a whitewash and deliberate course of action to believe in a lie — misleading the jury.  Even the police have hidden agendas during investigations — and present all that suits them and leave out other evidence not favourable ‘undisclosed’ so the case will stick against the defendant…..so remember this when you go to court as a member of the jury, watching in the public gallery or being the defendant/accused yourself, and really ask yourself if this is the ‘British Justice’ you were led to believe in?

‘ Judges, Barristers, Solicitors, are they naturally bent? this scandal says yes!’

We picked up on this and decided to help publicise what appears to be quite a legal scandal focusing how far the judiciary will go to conceal that a forged document was tendered by solicitors and rubber-stamped by the court.

It looks clear that the warrant of execution which was used to evict and lock Janice Vivien Pritchard, Robert Carter and John Carew-Reid from the property known as 1 Garratt Close, Beddington, Surrey, London Borough of Sutton fraudulently, wrongly, immorally and unjustly in complete disregard for natural and human justice in clear broad or normal guidelines and acceptable standards used in bailiff evictions of residential properties, is a completely fraudulent document and fraudulently has the words “County Court Claim” typed on it. 

Also Barrister Marie-Clair Bleasedale of Radcliff Chambers has admitted to Morgan J that Fineland Investments Limited’s claim to the property known as 1 Garratt Close, Beddington, Surrey, Sutton ranks second to John Carew-Reid’s claim to ownership of the property who has lodged a transfer signed by Janice Vivien Pritchard with HM Land Registry prior to any other lodgements pursuant to a contract agreement dated 4th

10. One can sign a legally valid mortgage with a bank until the bank has accessed and approved the loan. there is always a paper trail in existence to show an application form signed by the proposed borrower, being Janice Vivien Pritchard, the a letter of approval from the bank with whatever conditions the bank agree to the lend the money..interest rate, type of loan, whether it is interest only or principle and interest… the time given to repay the loan… if the bank requite a guarantor.. etc…the a paper banking trail showing the bank paying out the money directly to the seller of the property (in this case the Sutton Council) and at the same time obtaining a free title deed to be able to register their mortgage over …   ..Which has to be in existence and go to prove in reality that such a mortgage was approved, paid out, and repaid at some point in time?

Before Royal Courts of Justice High Court Chancery Division Morgan J makes any ruling on whether he should grant possession of the property known as 1 Garratt Close, Beddington, Surrey, back to Janice Vivien Pritchard, Robert Carter and John Carew-Reid, he will have to order that solicitor Jonathan Barry Kandler of Bude Nathan Iwanier Solicitors, Solicitor Geraldine Paletz, Daniel J. Ginsbury Partner Ingram Winter Green Solicitor, Nathan Tietelbaum, Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors on the witness stand to give evidence of their knowledge of the so called 126,000 pounds sterling had with Heritable Bank. The reality no such mortgage ever existed and this was one of the many false and misleading statements presented to Acting Judge Alison Foster QC on the 11th and 12th October, 2010 to obtain the orders made on the 31st January, 2011 by Acting Judge Alison Foster QC in HC06C02639. On this point alone these orders have to be immediately set aside by the High Court of Justice Chancery Division.

11. One can not sign a mortgage over a property that is not one ones. name, with no title deed number and no amount of mortgage that is owed on a date that is not the real date….This so called ridiculous Mortgage deed is simply not a document that could have any legal effect and in any event would be void for uncertainty and void because Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors used the trust and faith Janice Vivien Pritchard had in him, to use undue influence to get Janice Vivien Pritchard to sign documents of the 6th August, 2004 that were not in any way in the interest of Janice Vivien Pritchard and/or her son Robert Carter, when Janice Vivien Pritchard was in no fit mental health to know what she was signing being under the care of Sutton Hospital at the time for mental problems and depressions. Please see letters written by Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors to Sutton Council and to Ingram Winter Green Solicitors in August and September, 2004.

12. All that has happened is that Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors had a blank copy of a standard Mortgage Charge Deed on file and typed the name of Heritable Bank and Janice Pritchard ( not even her real name, her real name is Janice Vivien Pritchard, no bank would ever allow a borrower to sign a mortgage deed without placing the person’s full real name), and had Janice Sign the document along with a mass of others papers that were just shoved in her face to sign, which were never read by Janice Vivien Pritchard and simply relied on her solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors that he was looking after the interests of herself and he son Robert Carter who is very ill, and still very ill. Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors should be struck off as a solicitor for getting his client to sign the documents he did get her to sign, and the other solicitors involved such Solicitor Geraldine Paletz, Daniel J. Ginsbury Partner Ingram Winter Green Solicitor, and Fineland Investments Limited and Nathan Teitelbaun the agent involved in the preparation of these documents and using Solicitor Nigel Matthews of Dennis Matthews Solicitors as an agent should all be put on trial by the court for contempt of court and should end up in jail and be struck off as solicitors and barristers so they can not do any more damage to other innocent people.

The reason why this document was never produced to the court before because of if had the court and the judge would have laughed it out of court and the whole case would have fallen away.

Submissions to Morgan J for 13th April 2011 for application in HC11C00580

The so called Mortgage Document that Solicitor Jonathan Barry Kandler, Bude-Nathan-Iwanier Solicitors, Solicitor Geraldine Paletz, Daniel J. Ginsbury Partner Ingram Winter Green Solicitor, Ingram Winter Green Solicitors, Dennis Matthews Solicitors, Solicitor Sophie Ruffles, Solicitor Tony Marsh Nurse, Barlow Lyde Gilbert Solicitors, Solicitor Simon Jackson, Finburn LLP Solicitors, Solicitor Nick Hibbert, Kennedys Solicitors, Barrister Clair-Marie Bleasedale of Radcliff Chambers have all being fraudulently and false saying to the court over the last few years in favour of Heritable Bank dated 9th August 2004, but signed 6th August 2004 could never in any stretch of the imagination could be considered a valid mortgage deed. The fact that this is the only document in existence that the aforementioned solicitors and barristers says is evidence that Janice Vivien Pritchard had a signed registered, real mortgage of 126,000 pounds sterling with Heritable Bank, is a complete disgrace and one of the biggest legal frauds on a court and Janice Pritchard, Robert Carter and others in modern English Legal History

NB: We have featured part of the beginning and then to section 10 on…..as we feel it more or less gives enough information to demonstrate something crooked has been going on in the judiciary at a reasonably high level. (what we also left out was the fact that this document had legal authority and court stamps/seal and therefore involved others who had taken part in this scandal)

Another visit to the list of new lawyers before the Disciplinary Tribunal for misuse of client accounts etc,

SOLICITOR  COLIN MICHAEL ARTHUR BISHOP

SOLICITOR  MARTIN CLIVE BOULTON

SOLICITOR KIRAN NAHAR

SOLICITOR FARHAT MALIK-MUSUD

SOLICITOR  SIMON PAUL KENNY

SOLICITOR  RICHARD DEIGHTON

SOLICITOR CHRISTOPHER JOHN ASTLEY COPE

SOLICITOR BHADRESH BABULAL GOHIL

SOLICITOR  GAVIN RICHARD WALL

SOLICITOR  DARREN STUART RICH

SOLICITOR  IAN KEVIN DUDLEY BRAND

SOLICITOR  ALEXANDER ADEBAYO ADEYEMO

SOLICITOR  ABDUL- AZIZ JIMOH

SOLICITOR  PETER ROSS-LLOYD-COOPER

SOLICITOR  BERNARD RODNEY BRANDON

SOLICITOR  PETER HOWARD MADDEN

SOLICITOR  JEFFREY GRAHAM CUNLIFFE

SOLICITOR  BENJAMIN JASON CORNELIUS

SOLICITOR  JONATHAN CHARLES LEWIS

SOLICITOR  MARC JOSEPH LEVY

SOLICITOR  SURAMYA KRISHNAKUMARAN

SOLICITOR  RAYMOND SAUL

SOLICITOR  ANDREW LAWRENCE GREYSTOKE

SOLICITOR  JIKOA CHIWETE MONU

SOLICITOR  ROSE IFEOMA AKUTU

SOLICITOR  NORBERT EKENE OHANUGO

SOLICITOR  NATASHA SIMMON SCHAND

SOLICITOR  ANEET KAUR GARCHA

SOLICITOR  ADEYINKA ABIMBOLA ADENIRAN

SOLICITOR  AMRIK KAUR BAINS

SOLICITOR  MILES RODERICK COX

SOLICITOR  TRACY LYNNE BLACK

SOLICITOR  SHABNUM AZIZ

SOLICITOR  DAVID ELIEZER COHEN

SOLICITOR  JULIAN PETER WILLIAM FALLOWS

SOLICITOR  HARRY HODGINSON

SOLICITOR  HOWARD ROBERT GILLESPIE YOUNG

This is the last of these disciplinary lists here on featured lawyers— See new feature ‘THE LAWYERS DISCIPLINARY LIST’

‘ Complaints of Shoddy Lawyers are upheld by Legal Ombudsman ‘

A REPORT HAS INDICATED THAT TWO THIRDS of complaints against Lawyers have been upheld in favour of the disappointed and wronged clients.  7,455 cases were investigated by April the 12th 2012 by the Office of The Legal Ombudsman. It said that the standards by most of the lawyers fell short of what was expected and that many cases looked into concerned unnecessary delays by solicitors and firms. The report has gone on to say that there will be list of Britain’s worst solicitors published — highlighting ludicrous fees, delays, poor treatment and unacceptable behaviour. It does say this will be the first ever of such lists….but we will believe it when we see it…..rumbles in the background have revealed that lawyers are taking action to have this suppressed.

‘ IPCC Lawyers Jump Sinking Ship ‘

S.O.S  — Or Save Our Stash?  Solicitors and Barristers know when and where to follow the money…and often stay with it….but in the case of the IPCC showing signs of infidelity and coming under scrutiny (not for the first time), the legal eagles eager to avoid a wider scandal breaking into the workings of the IPCC; especially their roles — they decided to get out and swim for it.    This happened, much to the ignorance of the public, when Vandenburghe who worked at the IPCC became a whistleblower and let it be known that that the public were being lied to with issued and fabricated falsehoods over ‘The Menezes Affair’ which had the police falling over each other with different accounts and a cover-up going through the ranks and up to the top brass of Scotland Yard.  The following day her home was raided by police by a force outside the Met Area?  But it was too late for them to put the genie back in the lamp now that the general public knew the cops had shot and killed an innocent man at Stockwell Station — the concocted £300,000 report looked tainted and unconvincing as it tried to take the heat off the police — which led to several defence lawyers on the IPCC Payroll quitting, giving their views that the IPCC was not adequately accountable.  It may have looked like a noble gesture, but in truth, it was not, they had done their part in trying to fix up the scenario with all the legal side-stepping and manoeuvres to hoodwink the public too in a ‘conspiracy to deceive the electorate’

NB: It’s not that surprising that behind Tax Inspectors, solicitors are one of the top worst hated professions by the public, followed by politicians and estate agents and police.

‘ If there’s something rotten — there is usually a Lawyer involved ‘

More and more these days in the world of scamming, there is a solicitor or legal firm found to be involved, and either advising or covering up for their client.  How this works is that the solicitor will run as deflector to any inquiries or investigations and literally run circles around the police or fraud office in attempt to gain time to dispose of any incriminating evidence.  All the time they are with the scam they will steer close to the wind and reinterpret all rules from their governing bodies — the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Tribunal who are the last ones who can actually ‘try’ these lawyers and firms.  One such firm recently involved was HOWELL LEGAL who operated for a company called PPP, a Property Portfolio Company run by John Potts in the North of England.  Over a three year period they had taken a staggering £80 million from investors, many of whom were based abroad.  They operated the scam by buying derelict and run down properties for a knockdown price, but decided not to repair them knowing it would eat into the lovely money they had coming in.  Many would never see these ‘sorry state’ houses….but luckily it went too far and some investors went to see what their money was doing,….the local police were immediately brought in and that’s when the complaints file ‘rocketed’ and the SFO – the serious fraud squad arrived to head the investigation.  It was discovered that the five directors running the firm were living wealthy lifestyles….and HOWELL LEGAL one of those were in at the trough benefitting from this fraud.  The arrogant Managing Director John Potts was jailed for five years.

‘ Where is the ‘forthright’ Lawyer Now? ‘

He is unavailable and declines to be interviewed no doubt — Milton Firman, Solicitor for the parents of murdered girl Shafil Ahmed said in 2004 — ‘ They strenuously deny any direct or indirect involvement in their daughter’s untimely demise — if called upon to do so, they shall not hesitate to defend their good and unblemished names in court ‘ — such was his warning to everybody…..well, his clients have been convicted of murder good name or not, and their former high and mighty solicitor is nowhere to be found!

‘ PRINCIPAL LAWYER STRUCK OFF ‘

SOLICITOR KENNETH GOOD of GOOD & CO SOLICITORS was singled out by the tribunal when responsibility was credited to the case of client money misuse. His co- SOLICITOR GRAHAM CARDONA OF Milton Keynes was said to be vaguely involved in that he should have seen what was happening, therefore he just received a reprimand from the tribunal.  Kenneth Good had misappropriated client funds and failed to act in a proper manner, he had also used the money for personal matters. The Northamptonshire Solicitor was struck off.

‘ FINES FOR SOLICITORS IN DODGY FIRM ‘

MILTON SOLICITORS AKA: QUBE LEGAL — Same Solicitors, new name, but still the old regime.  The tribunal said despite the name change, the Walsall legal firm in Milton Street operated in the same way as the old one.  Police were called in to examine the books as it transpired that dishonest dealings and client cash were at the root of the company’s wrongdoings.  SOLICITOR SUKHINDER KAUR KOONER was found guilty of failing to act in the best interest of her client Alliance and Leicester, she was fined £3,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £6,000.  SOLICITOR TASADUQ HUSSAIN was found guilty of misappropriating client money and using it improperly, acting in a dishonest manner, and he wrote misleading and untruthful letters to the client. SOLICITOR NADIA AKHTAR was found guilty of conducting a conveyance which had the signs of a mortgage fraud, and she too failed to act in the best interests of her client.  In addition, she also tried to destroy documents which were subsequently retrieved and given to the police in order to hamper the police investigation.  Hussain was ordered to pay costs of £6,000 and Akhtar was ordered to pay costs of £2,000.

‘ LAWYER GETS THREATENED WITH JAIL FOR DECEPTION ‘

SOLICITOR CHARLES CLUTTON decided to help his brother, the owner of CLUTTON AGRICULTURAL, the family firm involved in animal incinerations.  The Solicitor acted for the firm and fixed things for his brother by issuing false statements over the number of incinerations of animal carcasses disposed at Wrexham. He knew the seriousness of the situation but breached the government’s ‘Over thirty months scheme’ and issued documents that were a lie and dishonest — despite these measures being in place to protect the public and food chain.  He appeared at Knutsford Crown Court, Chester, and was convicted of six offences under the Environmental Protection Act, and was fined a total of £9,000.  A reserve jail sentence was issued in the event of non payment.

‘ Solicitor Jailed for Serious Assault ‘

LAWYER VICTOR TOUGH was jailed for 8 years after attacking his partially blind father who was an ‘irritation’ and that led to him severing the elderly man’s ear in a fit of rage because he was interrupted.  Medical evidence given in evidence said it was very lucky that his father hadn’t died.  Because the case was dealt with as ‘an attempted murder’ the Judge said  even though Tough had an unblemished career, he had to receive a custodial sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offence.

‘Lawyer who stole from client is jailed ‘

A Perthshire Solicitor ALASTAIR HALL appeared before the High Court in Edinburgh where he was found guilty of embezzling cash from client accounts.  In Court it was said that the assessed amount was around £500,000 which had been spent on fishing trips and luxuries.  He even stole a ‘Robert Burns First Edition’ which he then sold on to the National Library of Scotland.  Most of the thefts had been committed against elderly clients.  The once ‘territorial Army Major’ was jailed for eleven years after admitting to 5 charges of embezzlement and two charges of fraud and theft.

‘ SOLICITOR SPARED JAIL IN SEX INCIDENT ‘

LAWYER ROBERT WOTHERSPOON appeared before Carlisle Crown Court charged with molesting and assaulting a woman passenger during a coach journey from Edinburgh to London. The jury came to the decision of guilty before the hour was up, and Judge Peter Hughes described it as a ‘worrying case’ mainly due to the arrogant response made by the solicitor in his defence who dismissed his actions as ‘no big deal’  The solicitor from Carshalton in Surrey, admitted he ‘tried it on’ but insisted it did not amount to being a criminal case in his opinion.  Judge Hughes expressed his feelings towards the end of the case by saying he was increasingly alarmed by the nature of the offence, and found it remarkable that a man of his standing should have behaved in such a way during the two and a half hours journey. He said on first seeing the case before going into court he considered a conditional discharge might be appropriate, but he deferred sentence for background reports and remanded the solicitor until his next appearance for sentencing.

His defence Barrister Adeleine Wolfe responded to the leniency by saying that her client faced the real likelihood that he was going to lose his profession and his work….. being a far greater penalty as a result of the guilty verdict.

‘ Lawyer in £2.7 million Fraud ‘

Delusions, failure and not being able to see them led SOLICITOR GORDON MANSON to carry out a series of frauds.  In court he admitted to defrauding the banks, forging documents and using various identities to obtain loans by deception.  The sitting Judge came to the decision that Manson could not come to terms with the reality of a failed business that had gone bankrupt.  He was due to be sentenced at a later date.

‘ DISHONEST LAWYERS BROUGHT TO BOOK ‘

SOLICITORS PAUL LAURENCE MANSKI and DAVID RICHARD ROODYN fell foul of the Magistrates Court and The Tribunal — Manski received a court fine of £5,000 when they appeared at Westminster Magistrates charged with ‘ taxable supplies of services without giving security. At the Tribunal it was heard that they made improper withdrawals from client accounts and the misuse of client funds…….amounting to thousands of pounds. The solicitors from New Cavendish St, London were appropriately dealt with the tribunal said — Solicitor David Roodyn was struck off and Paul Manski was fined £20,000.

‘ Lawyer without Certificate loses clients money ‘

SOLICITOR EDWARD ACTON brought misery to clients knowing that he did not have a current practising certificate. He handled their conveyance and house sale so badly that he caused them financial distress in the region of £90.000 — and they became homeless!  Acton was hired to handle a transaction for Mary Smith to sell her farmhouse, but unknown to her, Acton was already in trouble with The Law Society and had been fined for being ‘in a conflict of interests’ — Later he was fined £2,000 for procedure failings yet again involving the sale of properties!

‘ SOLICITOR IN CONFLICT IS FINED ‘

LAWYER WING HING HOWARD CHAN a solicitor with ASTON LAW SOLICITORS in Birmingham was fined by the tribunal for failing to comply with his practising certificate and improper withdrawals from the client account. It was said that there were certain restrictions on his certificate that he breached even though he meant well and had a desire to keep the business going. He had been in practise for 17 years — the tribunal fined him £1,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £8.504.

‘ The Lawyer, the police Assault, and a Tribunal ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW NULTY faced charges of assault against Police Constable Harris after an incident in the High Street, Newton-le-Willows when he attacked the constable.  He was due to appear before St Helens Magistrates with his brother, Martin — but this was suddenly pulled from the court list!  which has led to suggestions and comments that friends in the CPS lent a helping hand?  There still remained a date with the Disciplinary Tribunal, but no date as yet been fixed!

‘ ONE LAWYER STRUCK OFF — ONE SUSPENDED ‘

Fiddling the client, upping the phone charges from £12.50 to a staggering £30 each– claims for administration fees without any real evidence or proper justification — lies to the body regulator and fabricating a letter were just some of the dealings these two solicitors embarked upon.  SOLICITOR PURANTHARAN RAJOO was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £2,500.  SOLICITOR HARILAL S. FERNANDO of FERNANDO SOLICITORS Tooting Bec was suspended indefinitely and was ordered to pay costs of £10.714.

‘ Solicitor in £500,000 theft? and Russian Investigators ‘

LAWYER STEPHEN CURTIS a former Tax Solicitor with a City of London firm – FOX AND GIBBONS — went onto form his own firm CURTIS & CO specialising in Commercial and Property Law.  Curtis, before his mysterious death lived in a castle in Portland, Dorset, and had a millionaire lifestyle.  The plot involved Russian money and tax avoidance, The arrest of a business colleague Platon Lebedev upset the the system and he feared being arrested by the Russian Police.  It was said that Curtis protected clients wealth from the scrutiny of Investigators – but at a dangerous price beyond the quick money he was making. He claimed before his death that he was being hunted and marked for execution by parties he never revealed.

‘ SOLICITOR FINED £20,000 FOR CASH MISUSE ‘

LAWYER ALASTAIR D TAYLOR of GRAHAM HARVEY SOLICITORS, Ilford, Essex appeared before a tribunal and was found guilty of allowing a cash shortage to occur by permitting money to be withdrawn — the misuse of client account monies amounting to £359,603. He also failed to disclose information to the client lender in a conveyance.  He was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £23,000.

‘  Law firms get richer, and the profits larger ‘

A REPORT BY LEGAL BUSINESS as revealed what one might expect these days from the Legal Profession — huge profits and fat cat lawyers.  Over 100 of the big name law firms took in £5 billion of annual profit for the first time despite economic downturns for the public in general.  Corporate Law had a field day with sums being mentioned like £17.7 billion in the financial year 2011 to 2012….up 8 percent on the previous year. Looking back 20 years, a survey showed the lawyers collectively billing their clients for £2.7 billion… and making profits of £891 million.  As we have repeatedly said — where there is money there is a lawyer ready to get in and grab it!

‘ The case of the Divorce Solicitors who lost a fortune ‘

Some news in the Legal area is not all that bad, especially when other lawyers take lawyers to the cleaners and wipe the floor with them!  — It is often said in these cases that the only people to come out of a divorce matter rich, are the lawyers….. Two Lawyers, Giles Kavanagh and Anna-Marie Kavanagh entered into a divorce and fought tooth and nail, especially over the £3.2 million home.  Even a judge tried to get them to realise that their court fight was getting expensive could not hold the enraged parties from going all the way until very little was left.  As they careered from one court to another, they squandered their fortunes in lawyers and fees amounting to £900,000……until they had but £90,000 left between them.  They had both been married for ten years and had a mansion in Kingston-upon-Thames.

‘ Corruption by any other name? ‘

It is a stark fact that the Legal Profession never refer to any wrongdoing committed by solicitors or barristers as corruption.  Research into this has shown that this word does not really apply to them, they have merely invented other names less ‘excitable’ and to them ‘less damning’  Theft from clients is described as ‘misconduct or misappropriating funds’ often reinvented to making an error over accounts, those being the ‘firm account and the client account’ and the alleged ‘accident’ by a solicitor claiming to have mixed them up due to stress or even forgetfulness!  When they commit a conflict of interests (working against the client because they have a financial interest in the outcome) this is often looked on as ‘an error of judgement’ despite the fact that the client might lose a fortune because of their advice and misdirection.  Forging, signing or fabrication of documents is often described as ‘an ill-advised move and breach of the professional rules’…. not a crime, just a silly attempt to get themselves out of a mess.  Lies, deceit and dishonesty come under their heading of ‘professional misconduct’ an offence that often does not count as a crime and more often than not that solicitor remains on the roll and receives a reprimand.  Some suspensions are given out along with fines, but these yet again are penalties for breaches of accounting, misbehaviour towards clients….they never come with the word corruption, and the other word that disappears is ‘conspiracy’ in regard to lawyers, that is reserved for the courts and the clients, they enter into conspiracies, solicitors merely interpret and discuss!

‘ Solicitor in plot to incite offence ‘

LAWYER MANMOHAN SANDHU was accused of criminal behaviour when he appeared at Diplock Court.  They heard taped evidence by the Serious Crimes squad, on it was Sandhu was inciting others to murder taxi driver, Jonathan Hiller. On other conversations he was heard coaching a suspect how to dispose of any evidence at the scene of a crime.  He also suggested that the man should join a rifle club in case there was residue on his clothes.  He said this would tend to confuse the police and in court it would not be of much use as he often used guns for target practice on the range.  The Court found him guilty and sentenced him to ten years in prison.

‘ Lawyer making false claims is jailed ‘

SOLICITOR PHILIP LABRUM of Weston appeared before St Albans Crown Court after submitting false documents and making false claims for damages against the council and an Insurance Company.  On one claim he had successfully obtained £5,000, but failed on another when suspicion arose over a £75,600 claim to insurers.  In court it was said that he had been a solicitor for 25 years, and had a clean record.  However, the court jailed him for two and a half years while the Solicitors Tribunal struck him off.

‘ Solicitor found guilty of theft ‘

LAWYER PADRAIG J BUTLER was found guilty of taking 500,000 euros from a dead client’s account.  The Tribunal heard that he failed to comply with undertakings with the ACC Bank in respect of properties, and at the time he appeared at the High Court he did not have the means to pay the money back.. he was found guilty of professional misconduct.  They also made the point of declaring him ‘a not fit person to be practising solicitor ‘

‘Lawyer in Perverting the Course of Justice Case ‘

SOLICITOR COLIN HARRISON, a Senior Partner in the Law Firm of Granville-West, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice when he appeared at Cardiff Crown Court.  Apart from being a prominent lawyer he was also a landlord with several properties.  A tenant, Christopher Tucker, had died of carbon-monoxide poisoning due to an unchecked gas fire.  On discovering what had happened and that the death was due to his negligence, he embarked on a ‘cover-up’ and manipulated the situation by misleading the police investigation.

‘ Murder trial – Third Solicitor is arrested ‘

LAWYER CHRIS JOHNSON, Criminal Law Partner at his firm in Mosshazelhurst, Norwich, was arrested in connection with perverting the course of justice by the Cheshire Police. Other Lawyers at the firm, Emma Spruce and Will Hurley were arrested earlier and after interviews were given bail.  The matter concerned the murder of one Jack Stratton, who was kicked to death outside his home.  The firm said they believed in their innocence and would be co-operating with the investigation.

‘ False Statements Car Scam Insurance — Lawyer is Charged ‘

SOLICITOR KASHIL KHAN of Newcastle, appeared before Carlisle Crown Court charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and making false statements in a car insurance scam.  He was charged with dishonestly making representations in an insurance proposal to make gain for himself. It was also said that he was arrested with others who were involved in the motor scam.

‘ Lawyer on £10,000 theft Charge ‘

SOLICITOR JAMES MUIRHEAD appeared before Reading Crown Court charged on twelve counts of dishonesty involving false accounting, money-laundering and theft.  Muirhead denied all the charges during the short hearing.  The Lawyer of THORBURN & CO. in South Oxford was bailed to appear later.

‘ Struck off solicitor charged with theft ‘

LAWYER THOMAS BYRNE appeared before the Dublin District Court on two charges of theft in connection with a £2million purchase of an apartment block.  He was charged with dishonestly keeping 1,887,415 Euros given to him by three clients for the purpose of discharging a loan from the TSB.

‘ Lawyer arrested over Theft ‘

SOLICITOR MARSHALL RONALD appeared before Edinburgh Crown Court charged with stealing £800,000 from the Liverpool Cultural Centre – Quiggins.  The Lawyer from Skelmersdale was arrested by police on suspicion of theft.  It was said that he plundered compensation money from the Liverpool Council — Ronald was said to have taken it from a client account without the client’s knowledge or permission.

‘Solicitor fined over non-compliance ‘

LAWYER WILLIAM D B EDMONDSON was fined by the tribunal £15,000 over his inexcusable failure to remit the full amount of cash due to the estate of a client, and provide documentary evidence — failure to do so would land him with a suspension order being enforced.  It was said – not only did he respect his client fairly, but failed to deal properly with the Regulator.  The solicitor of 34 years in practice was ordered to pay costs of £7,075.

‘ Lawyer ‘creates’ reference letter ‘

SOLICITOR EAMONN NEVILLE MURPHY was fined £7,500 for ‘manufacturing’ a letter that he used as a reference, pretending it came from a former employer, which was also submitted to an employment agency.  The Tribunal said that this kind of behaviour was likely to diminish public trust in the legal profession and solicitors in general. He was ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

‘ Solicitor suspended for three months ‘

LAWYER MARTIN JOSEPH WILCOCK appeared before Preston Crown Court on a criminal charge, pleading guilty to failing to make a required disclosure.  He was fined £2,515 in connection with charges brought under the proceeds of crime act (money-laundering).  He was suspended by the tribunal and ordered to pay £1,909 costs.

‘ £216,000 shortage brings lawyer down ‘

SOLICITOR JAKE PAUL CHARLES BENNETT requested to the tribunal that he should be removed from the Solicitors Roll — the tribunal concurred, and struck him off.  Not because he was ill, or just asked to be!  There was a matter of £216,871 of missing client money that remained without a remedy? — which would have to be addressed by the Profession.  It was said that he acted without integrity and failed with accounts in every conceivable way — he was ordered to pay costs of £3,750.

‘ Deceit and Misleading Solicitor struck off ‘

LAWYER JAMES C. KILPATRICK systematically deceived and misled his client into believing court proceedings had been issued at the local court, when in fact they had not.  It was heard at the hearing that he lied to the client and acted dishonestly for several months.  He was found guilty of fabricating an entire litigation case.  The tribunal had him struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £10,000.

‘Conflict of Interest Lawyers fined £5,000 each ‘

SOLICITORS MARK FELDMANN and MERVYN HARRIS both of 24 years legal practice, were said to have acted improperly when they withdrew monies from the client account, knowing their was an obvious conflict of interests in the matter with the client, and obtaining a loan from the client which raised ethical issues — without properly ensuring the protection of the client’s interest.  They were ordered to pay costs of £15,000.

‘ Client Cash Misuse Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER YOKE SUM WONG broke the rules of conduct when she dishonestly allowed the client to be used as a banking facility for the firm — she also was found guilty of accepting undertakings when she knew there was no chance of her carrying them out.  She had withdrawn money from the client account, and client funds had gone missing.  she was ordered to make a reparation of £40,000 in 28 days from the day of the hearing.

‘ Lawyer’s Second Appearance at Tribunal ‘

SOLICITOR MOHAMMED AYUB was suspended for two years in September (2012) — for the blatant disregard of the rules, yet it was noted by the tribunal records that the solicitor had appeared before in breach of his practising certificate, without proper insurance, and that a number of serious allegations had been proved at the hearing.  He was ordered to pay costs of £24,219.

‘ The ‘Grandstanding’ Solicitor ‘

Once upon a time there was this solicitor……well one will do here, and this involves ‘rogue traders’ and the programme that showed a computer repair firm clickpc of Worcestershire.  It showed the owners, yes, they had two similarly named businesses…secretly filmed and revealing that no matter what the call out, they get to charge £120, and they denied it in front of this lawyer who looked somewhat of a ‘pratt’  The interviewer got fairly disenchanted with this solicitor in his suit who posed in the background calling a halt to certain questions, and accused him of ‘grandstanding’….even suggesting the solicitor ought to join his client in the interview……the solicitor denied his client had told a new recruit (planted by the BBC team) should always consider the £120 charge as a starting basis if he was to get commission….obviously unaware the filmed evidence would show otherwise.

‘ The Legal Vultures I saw during 60 years of court visits ‘

Eric Harvey of Rustington, West Sussex recently decided to air his contempt for the legal system revealing why this was so — He said he was a regular observer in the Public Gallery going to The Royal Courts of Justice, the Central Criminal Court and Middlesex Sessions. he witnessed the rehearsal of lawyers as they got ready to show obsequious deference to benign supportive judges — designed and acted out to train junior advocates and confirm established lawyers in the approved well-trodden paths of court procedures thereby removing any residual consciences.  He watched and learnt how this exclusive organisation became self-perpetuating as it creates a spurious aura of superior knowledge and ability — separate from the ‘commoners’ giving rise to the exaggerated fees demanded as a right.  He quoted that Edward the third banned lawyers from becoming MP’s in the 14th century saying they should not have a voice in the chamber in making laws or in its process.  Unfortunately this was changed when he’d gone and their presence was reinstated — which Mr Harvey believes is nonsense for lawyers to be involved in law reform, as their purpose is ‘self-serving’…..he also says that this legal brotherhood should be brought under Parliamentary scrutiny…..well said.

‘ Lawyers not worried about ‘name and shame’

On surveying the colourful Internet, it probably comes as no surprise to learn that naming and shaming solicitors and barristers has little effect!  these individuals – solicitors and barristers hardly raise an eyebrow of being accused of lying, cheating and various other wrongdoing.  Even though we at this site do a fairly comprehensive job of featuring them and showing thousands of names…we know it will take more, so we believe in one system, ‘consolidation’ rather than one here and there, they take little to convince anyone…but in a larger ever-increasing number it will eventually get somewhere.  This thing about ‘privacy’ means nothing to them when they are in the court room, so we look at their so claimed privacy as fair game too….and feature those….especially these ‘spanking’ and ‘S & M Solicitors’ who’d rather not have anyone know about it.  We turn to ‘NO JUSTICE FOR CLIENTS via Peter Cherbi and  www.wordpress.com  when he says on his site — the need to get at crooked lawyers who are protected by their associations.  He mentions SOLICITOR THOMAS HUGH MURRAY who just took off to Northern Italy after stealing £18,000 from his client, Neil McKechnie…..Murray had been arrested before – twice — on fraud charges and attempting to flee the UK.  He has been struck off it is stated, though Peter Cherbi believes there was a deal behind closed doors — and a decision to let the crooked lawyer go to Italy. He says this was sanctioned by the Crown Office and Law Society of Scotland….if it was Peter, you will never get access to the documents.  So before finishing this piece, we do warn the legal profession that sites are being lodged on the Internet frequently about them…. and here is a taster to begin with.  ‘ Law’s Hall of Shame’ — www.duhaime.org  …… ‘ Legal Aid Racket’  www.intmensorg.info  ……. www.timeforjustice.co.uk   ……… and finally for now……….  http://solicitorslayer.blogspot.co.uk 

‘ Solicitor struck off for making irregular use of client account ‘

LAWYER JASON ARTHUR FENNEY appeared before the tribunal for acting dishonestly in connection with unpaid professional disbursements in the client accounts besides failing to comply with the rules.  It was said he made improper use of of the client account and made withdrawals contrary to the regulations.  He also failed to make good on money taken, thus breaching the codes of conduct.  He was ordered to pay costs of 325,000.

‘ Risk to the Public Lawyer is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT LLOYD MOSELEY was said to have failed to declare interest in property to the Official receiver at his bankruptcy petition — failed to pay sums in respect of transfers.  The tribunal found in regard to his testimony – that they rejected his version of the events as it flew in the face of truth!  He had also shown disgraceful conduct — the tribunal came to the decision that allowing him to continue could damage the reputation of solicitors?   he was ordered to pay costs of £26,094.

‘ Failures cost  Solicitor a fine of £7,500 ‘

LAWYER RUSSELL DAVID SENDER failed to remedy cash shortfalls in the firm finances, and did not ensure that insurance premiums were paid — he also allowed the client account to be overdrawn, and failed to supervise a trainee along with managing the firm in an appropriate way that would give the public confidence.  The tribunal fined him and ordered him to pay costs of £12,500.

‘ Lawyer acting fraudulently is struck off ‘

SOLICITOR ROBERT WARREN HEATLEY was struck off at a tribunal hearing when he dishonestly failed to pay client money into the client account without undue delay.  He had also used client cash for his own benefit and manipulated the accounts fraudulently to avoid detection.  It was said that he did not act in an open manner or show cooperation expected of a solicitor.  He was told to pay costs of £7,651.

 Solicitor’s firm wound up by the tribunal ‘

LAWYERS GAIL WATKINS AND CO were forcibly wound up by the tribunal and Law Society — it was stated that the accounts were not properly attended to and that a sum of £800 was held in the account, but no-one was sure who it belonged to.  The tribunal thought it should be closed quickly in order to protect clients and the public — Lawyer Gail Watkins herself, was suspended.

‘ Two Lawyers struck off for dishonesty ‘

SOLICITORS NAWEED RIAZ and FARHAT HUSSAIN were both struck off by the tribunal who said they acted dishonestly in their involvement in conveyancing.  The tribunal said that on inspection, their transactions entered into the suspicion and hallmark of fraud.  They both failed to be accountable to their client for money held on her behalf — and there was unreasonable delays by the firm.  Costs against them were set at £45,611.

‘ Five year suspension for Solicitor ‘

LAWYER JONATHAN LEWIS found himself in front of a tribunal accused of improper use of client account money, badly kept accounts that did not meet the board’s standards, money taken from the account exceeded what it had etc.  The solicitor who ran his own firm, JOHN LEWIS & CO. of Newport in Gwent, was told by the tribunal that his misconduct was of a serious nature, and that he posed a definite risk to the Legal Profession in regard to public confidence.  He was suspended and ordered to pay costs of £13,000.

‘ Lawyers in turmoil over badly run firm ‘

SOLICITOR ANEET GARCHA did not know that her partner SOLICITOR NATASHA SCHAND was a convicted fraudster who had appeared before Harrow Crown Court in 2011 where she received a 12 month prison sentence for taking £163,000 of client money.  It now appeared that she had not changed her ways and was again doing the same thing with her new legal partner.  Both appeared before a tribunal where it was revealed that the firm failed in client reconciliations, non compliance, did not adequately provide storage for client confidential files, and did not act in an open way with the Regulator.  It was stated that Schand deliberately used client account money for her own benefit.   She was struck off, and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.  Her partner, though not active in crime, had passively allowed the firm to get into trouble and fail the client, she was suspended indefinitely.

‘ No Integrity Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER MILES COX who had his firm in Station Rd, Poole in Dorset was struck off by the Tribunal when it was revealed that he had withdrawn monies from the client account and failed to carry out client reconciliations as required. He’d also failed to act with integrity and remedy breaches and undertakings with clients and the SRA.  The tribunal found him guilty on all counts including dishonesty.  Co-Lawyer TRACY BLACK was viewed as less culpable and fined £1,000.

‘ Misleading, Reckless and Dishonest, Lawyer is told ‘

SOLICITOR MILLARD DECAL SPENCE of Millard Decal Spence Solicitors in Handsworth, Birmingham came in for a heavy bashing from the Tribunal who was judging him.  A lot of the trouble surrounded the accounts at the firm, which had at times operated without insurance, and he’d failed to pay risk payments.  The tribunal described his handling of the firm as Misleading, Reckless and Dishonest.  He was suspended for three years and ordered to pay costs of £8,400.  A second solicitor at the firm was suspended for four months and ordered to pay costs of £3,600.

‘ Conspiracy to defraud Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER PETER OBIDI of Dunamis Solicitors in London, appeared before Southwark Crown Court charged with Conspiracy to defraud.  It was in connection with him receiving a cheque for £18,000 from a Mr.M  He was arrested by Met Police at a Chelsea Police Station when he answered a notice left at his address.  He was sentenced to six months in jail.  The Tribunal considering his career said the fact of criminal conduct could only result in him being struck off and was ordered to pay £3,500 costs.

‘ Lawyer of 24 years acted Dishonestly ‘

SOLICITOR ANITA E ANDREWARTHA was ordered to be struck off the Solicitors Roll because she had not acted in the best interests of her clients and acted dishonestly.  The Tribunal said that her conduct would diminish public confidence in the Profession.  In evidence brought it was revealed that her conduct had been affected for a considerable time and not up to the standards her clients should receive.  She was ordered to pay costs of £1.814.  They said it was sad that after 24 years things had gone this way.

‘ Solicitor Fined £7,500 ‘

LAWYER PREMJI PATEL of the Firm Alliance Solicitors of Harrow, Middlesex, appeared before a tribunal being hauled over a serious breach of allowing his client account to be used by a third party.  The tribunal also noted that Mr Patel had appeared before a previous tribunal hearing over breaches in various accounts and had been fined £1,500.  Besides the £7,500 they ordered him to pay £20,000 to the applicant.

‘ ABH Lawyer is Suspended indefinitely ‘

SOLICITOR JOHN ROBERT CRANK appeared before Burnley Crown Court on a charge of Actual Bodily Harm, the victim being his mother who he got angry with.  The 34 year old  lawyer had been issued with a police caution in regard to his behaviour previously.  The court sentenced him to 36 weeks imprisonment.  The Tribunal considering the case realised they were dealing with a young solicitor but could not easily disregard his temper and that the victim was his own mother.  They supended him indefinitely and ordered him to pay £1,550 costs.

‘ Fraud Solicitor is struck off ‘

LAWYER RAMINDER HEER appeared before Harrow Crown Court on eight counts of fraud.  She was sentenced to ten months imprisonment suspended for a year.  Before the tribunal she said she suffered from depression at the time and a dependency on alcohol was to blame.  The Tribunal said that dishonesty had been proved reasonable doubt and that she failed to act with integrity — she was struck off the Solicitors Roll.

‘ Four Lawyers, Three fined £1,700 each ‘

SOLICITORS ANDREW AYRES, PAUL WATERS, SHANE FLANNERY and SARAH BAMBER found themselves appearing before the Tribunal.  Ayres, Waters and Flannery were accused of breaching the rules — the withdrawal of client account funds not for the purpose that the tribunal accepted.  Bamber was appointed Cashier at the firm and should have been supervised in this role.  She made unallocated transfers from the client account to the office account, and did not keep the records updated.  Ayres, Waters and Flannery were fined £1,700 each and together they had to pay costs of £13,500.  Bamber was told she had to pay £4,500 in costs.

‘ Taxman makes renewed attack on Solicitors and Barristers ‘

THE LAW SOCIETY and BAR COUNCIL expressed their concern when the HMRC indicated they were yet again launching investigations ”Lawyers face Tax Dodging Scrutiny’ — Tax Officials in 2012 are to review and look into unpaid tax concerning Solicitors and Barristers in the London Area…..this comes in the light of a recent situation of a £3 million shortfall in revenues.  The Bar Council said ‘ the HMRC’s intervention in the tax affairs of their members had come as a surprise’

In 2008 a Public Accounts Committee Report said this – The Tax man identified that 57 Barristers were pulled up in the system as failing to notify — as yet, this has not led to any prosecutions?

‘ Inside the Chambers of Secrecy and conferences ‘

Beyond the fiction of Rumpole of The Old Bailey we find some of it ringing true — it is often put out by the Members of the Bar that they do no wrong and often claim that collusion in anything corrupt does not and cannot happen…..and if one is a ‘bad ‘un’ then he or she did it entirely on their own, and nobody in Chambers knew anything about it — WRONG!   Chambers in the City are often overcrowded and sharing these days is a must.  The chance and likelihood of casual affairs that could have a dire effect on the running of a Chambers is rather commonplace….and some seriously compromise the professional standards and ethics they swear allegiance to.   Many ‘middle’ Barristers (above Junior and Pupil who booze heavily) have no regard for moral conventions, whereas some of the up and coming career oldies (aiming for position of Master) treat their clerks with indifference and loathing – not quite appreciating that it is the clerks that provide them with briefs; they more often than not see a clerk as ‘beneath them’, one of the lowly much like a serf or slave.  They the clerks, often save the ‘bacon’ of some Barristers who have been known to act outside the normal procedures and get involved in ‘double-billing’ with invoices to clients, and suddenly find they have a situation that could lead to a ‘paper-trail’ — affecting the Proceeds of Crime Act or Money-Laundering….clerks are most welcome at this stage….as many handle the accounts and financial aspects of the Chambers.  A Barrister is okay at contesting an application at an interlocutory stage, or getting up to pontificate at the Crown Court….but he or she still has all the opportunity they need to plead for a cover-up in times of difficulty or the police coming. Far from being alone and on their own, they can have chat times with each other ie: ‘Have you got a minute’ as one pops their head around the office door.  Drinks together after the day or one in Chambers is arranged along with that Christmas Party.    Most importantly — the Conferences….where the Master of Chambers can call a meeting, (calling the ‘family’ together) at any sign of trouble within the Chambers….it is often known what gossip there is in chambers by everyone…it passes down within the day… they know quite a bit about each other…so if anything dodgy is discovered, they are in the right place to enact a ‘damage limitation’ case and instruct other measures to be invoked well before the police come knocking….so let’s get away from this sanctimonious piffle of the Honour and Honest Legal Profession…..that is the real fiction!

‘Tribunals help ‘public non-disclosure’ of Lawyers Misconduct ‘

THE LEGAL PROFESSION ‘occasionally’ claim that anyone can see the results of disciplinary measures against lawyers (excluding barristers strangely enough) with reports on the Internet, via the Law Gazette.  Whereas the police and individual officers are seen daily in the newspapers who sometimes have court reporters bringing them a story of ‘cops in the dock’…..somewhat more transparent, and easily collectable and filed as research studies into the police.  However, with Lawyers (solicitors), the case is not so, and the courts they appear in are the domain of the Legal Profession, and are well guarded….. the whole thing is self-regulated!   Thus, it is certainly a case of ‘controlling’ what the public get, and the Web Sites do not exactly prove themselves to be easily scrutinized by the casual visitor.  It has a ‘criminal cases’ category, but this has to be selected from a scroll down box, otherwise it doesn’t appear, and what you normally see is routine breach of the regulations cases, that to the casual observer contains nothing alarming or easily deciphered.  Unless you can connect that with other activity, you will not see any ‘relevant or familiar content’ that could help you……It is quite well done by the Tribunal, as they add yet more confusion in that you are required to enter details in their search on a solicitor, details such as reference numbers, often not available to you or never had, thus you ending up at a dead end, even though you know who that lawyer is, or thought you did.  The whole thing is designed to appear as one thing, whilst being another in reality…many will not understand what they see and just veer away from the site in exasperation — a win for the law profession.

‘Solicitors Pay Up for Wasting Man’s time ‘

‘AMBULANCE CHASING LAWYERS ‘ paid £195 plus court costs to Businessman Richard Herman who said he was fed up of these PPI claims and firms who annoy people in order to get lucrative business from people who never chose to approach them.  Lawyers SCOTT REES  AND CO. were charged  £10 a minute for every time he wasted on answering their nuisance phone calls…..especially as he was on the Telephone Preference Service, and should not have received the calls at all.  The Lawyers sent him a cheque for £230 for bothering him over a two day period.  The  Solicitors said they have no further referrals or work from the firm involved, and said they have given the payment in a gesture of goodwill?

SPECIAL FEATURE HERE:

As we point out on this site, lawyers have often been at the heart of every major piece of nastiness, and we have a case here that you will not be aware of due to it being hushed up and his connection removed in a conspiracy – ‘Operation Coldstore’

‘ The Evils that Some Lawyers Do ‘

Such a man was LAWYER HUGH HICKLING, the man who drafted and drew up the Internal Security Act for Singapore in 1960, which allowed detention without trial and methods of torture……and on this note, it is strange one does not hear that Britain had a significant role in silencing dissenters and the opposition members of the PAP in Singapore.  In fact as we have shown, Britain backs away and denies all in their connection with torture saying ‘we did no wrong, it wasn’t us’   But completely false, declassified documents meant to be thrown into the somewhere and into the void have turned up (see article in Related Topics ‘Speak with Forked-Tongue’).  

What this British Lawyer did amounted to ‘a war crime’ really, he brought about legislation that allowed the ISD of Singapore to grab anyone without a warrant (They were grabbed at 4 am or late at night under cover of darkness so that the public would not see it) they had police assistance, and could throw them into a jail for thirty days and it was done to them without having recourse to legal safeguards, nor had they any opportunity to challenge their accusers, and suffer one of the most brutal interrogations which included electronic torture, beatings (two such prisoners had their teeth knocked out and one suffered a broken jaw) and kept in a cell 5ft by 7ft…. these nasty oppressive  interrogations went on relentlessly with different teams on a shift principle…. they were only allowed out for half an hour to visit a toilet or have a wash…..and we are talking about the1960’s and 1970’s here, not WW2.  Without attending any court they could be sent and were, to major prisons like Changi prison and kept there indefinitely under Article 74.  Many were imprisoned just for their beliefs and opposition to the republic Government, the British Lawyer had made certain that any opposition, critic or follower of a peaceful campaign could be seized under this legislation if the ruling Government needed to silence a particular voice……and as we touch on that, prisoners interrogated were not allowed to talk or sing….anyone disobeying this were beaten by Ghurkha Mercenaries hired to do the ‘dirty work’….some actually ended up in hospital, but no-one was allowed to see them, and as soon as they could be moved they were quickly returned to a prison cell… the Press was forbidden to cover these incidents….all prisoners were expected to confess, most did not, but some had to sign ‘fabricated confession documents’ to stop the pain……none of them were guilty of a real crime…..some were held for twenty years….but what did Hickling care about that!……he was having a life of wealth and good living.

‘Marriage Sham Lawyers concocted ‘love stories’

THE LAW FIRM SOULEIMAN GA SOLICITORS in North London appeared before the Old Bailey charged with conspiracy to break Immigration Laws.  SOLICITOR TEVFICK SOULIEMAN was accused of forging documents to deceive the Border agency.  The Prosecutor told the court that staff at the Law Firm made up ‘scripts’—– these love stories.  Despite the obvious ‘same address’ on applications, marriages were still taking place.  The firm organised forged affidavits to go with these stories to fool inspection.  The accounts were so organised that only £500 would be recorded, when in actual fact the sum was thousands of pounds.  The firm denies money laundering, conspiracy to breach immigration law and disposing of the proceeds of crime. The case is set to continue against the firm.

Solicitor Tevfick Soulieman was jailed for 10 years by Judge John Bevan, he said the firm G A Solicitors had run a ‘conveyor belt’ of brides being flown in for sham marriages and scooped around £20million.  Others in the firm, Cenk Guclu got 9yrs, along with bail jumper Furrah Kosimov, and Zafer Inbas was jailed for six years.

‘ Solicitor Ignores County Court Judgement ‘

LAWYER MR KHAN of A-Z LAW LTD, Balham High Street, London SW, found himself on the wrong side of the judiciary when he was visited by High Court Bailiffs in search of a £50,000 debt after losing a court action in the County Court.  Mr Khan ignored the judgement and did not pay anything into court despite being an officer of the court himself and a high street solicitor who dealt in litigation and immigration etc,  The court had written to him, but in the end it went to the high court, and bailiffs were sent to recover £50,484………Mr Khan, rather annoyed the bailiffs who were not impressed with his stand on the matter, as he tried to twist the law with various arguments in order to get them out of his offices……but eventually, he was forced to make an effort to clear the debt, but even then he only came up with £7,000?…….which is just around 13 per cent…….quite disappointing with what we hear about normal solicitors office accounts…..rather strange!

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SPECIAL NEWS:  BREAKING STORY:

A scandal involving a law firm and solicitors, who told their client he must get a solicitor to sue them after he became dissatisfied with them, has ‘mushroomed’ into a much larger situation, one rumoured to be of fraud, we have heard that this has been going on for two years without going to the press.

THE PLAYERS:  LAWYERS, THE LAW FIRM, A BANK, TWO JUDGES AND THE SHERIFF OF GUILDFORD.

We have been told by our source that there is to be a trial before the Summer of 2013…..so we shall be looking into this and investigating to find out who is who name wise.

P.S. We do have the name of the solicitors but we have been told our source should not have disclosed it.

Update — March — We have discovered that the law firm have paid the witness in the region of £30,000 to keep quiet and not to inform the newspapers about the case.  It becomes increasingly clear despite talk of a huge court case, that they are trying to suppress this case and take it away from any radar!

NEWS UPDATE:  We have been told that the hearing has been carried out in secret and the public barred…but we will stay with this to the trial date and get you more on this as soon as we have info passed to us.

SOURCES SAY that around £600,000 has been paid to key players in order to keep this case silent so far.

UPDATE 2014 — News in says that a Solicitor has gone to prison….and that the offer is up to around £700,000 and as yet nothing has been paid.

Recent news — we can name the witness as Derek Harris, and he still hasn’t received the money offered and accepted…..this case has gone on for 15 months and there is no light at the end of the tunnel…..talk is that the solicitors are blaming each other!

This strange yet secret case goes on nearly two years after it began, with Lawyers optionally confusing the action and setting up the delays they want in order to obstruct.  The ‘Pot’ offered to Mr Harris has increased without a penny being paid as yet, and the Press have been barred from knowing much about it.  We still haven’t been able to get the Judges’ named…nor some of the solicitors firms Mr Harris tells us that are involved in this case of ‘big’ property fraud……but we shall plod on and get there whether they like it or not.

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‘Lawyer in £2.8million Fraud conning TV Celebrities ‘

LAWYER NATHAN IYER  appeared at The Old Bailey faced charges of fraud and deception involving nearly three million pounds.   It was said in court that he ‘slipped in’ extra items on client bills and funnelled money into his own account. He made out fraudulent invoices which handsomely paid for a £600,000 landscaping project with swimming pool. He told police that he just helped himself to the money, the option was there and I took it he said. A lawyer at INCE  & CO he earned £568,000 a year.  He drove a top line Porsche and had a yacht besides property.  It all fell apart when he involved TV’s Chris Tarrant and Dunwoody to sign a letter recommending him for an OBE.  He forged several letters of support from a judge to make things look as if he had support from the hierarchy…..and then a touching one from Cancer Research UK to show how responsible and in-touch with the ordinary folk……but this was all a lie. He was struck off in 2012, and declared bankrupt.  He admitted one charge of false accounting and two charges of making a false instrument (forgery).  He was jailed for four years and eight months by Judge Christopher Wilson who told him ‘ your actions were a gross abuse of the honours system…..it is a dismal end to a fine career’

‘ Solicitors accused of Negligence ‘

GULLANDS SOLICITORS of Maidstone, Kent, and ROYTHORNES’S  SOLICITORS of Spalding feature in this tale e-mailed to us….and reportedly featured on a Web Blog…. ‘Failure to Disclose Restrictions’ to client — Gulland’s clients being Christine and her husband who has invalid status.  They bought a Chalet Bungalow which was handled by the Law Firm — who told them nothing about the restrictive covenants involved with the property they were purchasing — and these restrictions meant they had to seek permission from the neighbour if they ever wanted to sell it…….of course, they had no idea of this until they actually came around to doing just that when they decided to move up North,   The info tells of how they contacted BBC’s ‘Rip-off Britain’ and spoke to Julia Somerville who showed an interest in the case.  Christine was asked if they could name solicitors Gullands and Roythorne’s along with the Santander Bank.  Hoping to hear good news, Christine was told by Julia Somerville that the Lawyers said the restrictions had been removed, and had said so in the broadcast….but this wasn’t true, Christine checked and found nothing changed, and there was no change to the deeds, the awful restrictive covenants were still active….she got back to the BBC, but they showed no interest.

‘ £600,000 Vat Fraud Barrister faces Jail ‘

HIGH FLYING BARRISTER ROHAN PERSHAD appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court accused of tax fraud by the HMRC who brought the case against him.  It was disclosed that he had an income of £346,000 and had been working as a QC, one of the elite….at 39, ESSEX STREET CHAMBERS in London.  He had two prestigious homes, one in Freshwater, Surrey, and another one in Somerset….and lived in wealth.  On his CV it makes references to him being an expert in fraud?….yet he failed to pay £628,000 in VAT over a twelve year period.  The judge who found him guilty set the date for sentencing to be on the 26th of February 2013.  (it said he was charging VAT on client accounts but did not pass this on to the tax authority)

One thread runs throughout the subject of Bent Lawyers, money….and what lawyers and solicitors will do:

THE MISUSE OF THE CLIENT ACCOUNT!    here we show you that common thread in several cases…….a reason that points to why so many solicitors are appearing before disciplinary tribunals and courts:

‘Court appearance and struck off ‘

SOLICITOR MALCOLM BROWN appeared at Reading Crown Court with four others and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud – the Land Registry of £8 million, he was jailed for 4 years and 9 months.  At the following tribunal he was charged with misuse of client account funds, withdrawing it and using the cash for his own purpose.  Furthermore he had a conflict of interests and allowed the firm to be involved in a fraudulent conveyance transaction…..as well as making ‘secret profits’……it was stated that he failed to remedy breaches and that he had appeared before a Disciplinary Tribunal in 2000 for failing to pay counsel’s fees and conduct unbecoming.  (The solicitor was from Slough, Berkshire).

 False ledger Entries and using client cash ‘

SOLICITOR PETER GILLIS who had a sole practice in Great Portland St, London W1.  Before the Tribunal he was accused of improperly utilizing client accounts for his own purpose.  He was Struck off and ordered to pay costs of £6,715.35.  Other details emerged, he had previously appeared before a tribunal in May 1976 for misuse of client monies and unbefitting conduct, plus ‘made or caused to be made false entries in the firm ledgers’ and was struck off then.  In 1981 the legal profession restored his certificate and put him back on the Roll!  and when yet again in 1995 he was fined, but the tribunal felt that things would improve.  But, yes, he was back in front of the Tribunal in 1999 because he had employed struck off solicitor MICHAEL GOLDSTONE without notifying the SRA.

‘Withdrew money from client account to pay a judgement’

SOLICITOR ANDREW KENNEDY HORSEY who worked at Law Firm Traill & Co, Blandford Forum in Dorest was dismissed in 2010 when they discovered that he had misused client account money to pay a judgement in a damages suit against the firm without authorisation.  This strange and complicated plot takes strange twists, in that the £41,000 judgement and costs came to £60,000…..the sum Horsey took from the client account which then involved disgraced solicitor IAN MACFARLANE (solicitor and partner in the firm previously — who was arrested in 2004 for fraud offences – HMRC and Land Registry.  He was convicted and sent to prison…he features earlier on this page)  The Tribunal agreed it was misuse of client money and that he had failed to act with integrity, and in the best interests of clients.  The money was used to pay a judgement in an unrelated matter…and was not in any way the client’s responsibility which was a breach of rule 22 SAR.  Horsey was struck off.

‘ Misconduct and misuse of client cash’

SOLICITOR TIMOTHY SELLERS of Foreman Law Solicitors, Hitchin, Herts. He was expelled from the firm in 2009. The firm contacted the SRA to report misconduct by Sellers, they said he had misused money from a ‘special miscellaneous suspense account’ belonging to clients for retention until specified ledgers could be be used.  In the court they said he made transfer of £6,710.00 to another solicitors firm, which was used to settle a negligence case against him.  Then, at a later stage he withdrew £500 paid to a proposed tenant (client of the firm)  He was charged with dishonesty and unauthorised withdrawals from a client account along with professional misconduct.  The tribunal ordered him struck off and ordered him to pay costs of £11,500.00.

‘ Deception, misleading and more ‘

SOLICITOR NIGEL POLLARD of Little Billing Northamptonshire proved to be quite a handful for the tribunal let alone a judge?  Pollard was with the firm  Messrs Parker Groom, solicitors of Wellingborough. He failed to comply with directions made by the Judge at Birmingham Crown Court where he was due to go on trial…..and that was after a lengthy police investigation into criminal matters.  At the tribunal it was said he failed to pay client monies into the client account, misled the Law Society, the Inland Revenue, beneficiaries of estates, and clients alike.  It was obvious there was a conflict of interests according to the tribunal, as Pollard invented delays and showed conduct unbefitting of a solicitor.  He was the subject of two partnership disolvements, one in 1994 and one in 1997.  Although he gave up his practice, the tribunal made an order prohibiting the restoration of him  returning to the Roll of Solicitors.

‘ Taking an unfair advantage and money laundering ‘

SOLICITOR ADRIAN SCHEPS (DR) of Park View Rd, Pinner, Middlesex was definitely following the money before being Struck Off.  He had his practice – Scheps & Co in Mayfair, London.  He faced charges of misuse of client account money and serious breaches of the practice rules.  They found him dishonest and without scruples as he engaged in ‘High Yield Transactions’ — the tribunal indicated that they involved banking fraud or money laundering.  They said he used his position as a solicitor to take unfair advantage for himself or other persons, and acted in a manner that was fraudulent or deceitful towards another firm of solicitors.  The tribunal decided in order to protect the name of the profession that he should be struck off.

‘Solicitor tells Regulators  he’s bankrupt one day before investigation’

SOLICITOR KEVIN BRAND – Ian Brand Solicitors, High St, Redbourn, Herts, faced accusations of client cash misuse when he faced a tribunal after he was made bankrupt.  Regulators found there was a shortfall in the funds of £12,500.  They were told of the bankruptcy only one day before going to his practice to begin investigations.  However, despite his submission of bankruptcy, the tribunal said that he did withdraw money from the client account when he did not hold a current practising certificate, which was a breach of the rules. He was suspended for 9 months and ordered to pay costs of £8,000.

‘Withdrew cash from client account for phantom client’

SOLICITOR ALAN TICKELL a partner in the Law Firm Rex Taylor and Meadows, Merseyside, admitted at a tribunal that the firm withdrew money from the firm’s general client account on behalf of a client he could not name…..when the client account did not hold any money belonging to that client….and that the money was not required for that client, and the client had not instructed the firm to withdraw the money (confused?…yes it certainly looks strange).  The firm retained client money in the client account when there was no proper reason to hold onto the money!  (it was revealed in one case they held on to client cash for 18 years)  He did not deny misconduct at the tribunal who fined him £2,000 and costs of £3,000.

‘ No authority granted from client to utilise money’

SOLICITOR PETER BOWN of Yaffe Jackson Ostrin Solicitors, Temple Court, Victoria St, Liverpool appeared before a Disciplinary Tribunal charged with withdrawing client money without the client’s authority or instructions, and failed to comply with the relevant money laundering regulations by not obtaining client identification.  Brown was acting for a client in Ireland, purchasing an investment property in Leeds in 2009.  On two occasions the development did not proceed.  Funds were transmitted to Portner and Jaskel Solicitors….and it was revealed to the tribunal that a Mr H. a solicitor at the firm had misappropriated the funds, and was prosecuted and convicted.  Peter Jeremy Bown was fined £4,000 with costs of £13,000.

‘ Illness blamed for offences ‘

SOLICITOR PAUL EMANUEL of P.H.Emanuel & Co, Bisham House, Highgate, London, faced allegations of client account misuse and that he used the money for himself.  Although he admitted to failing to deal with clients properly, and engaging in conduct unbecoming to a solicitor, along with drawing money from the client account to use for his own benefit, he claimed this was down to stress and handling far too much a burden of work to cope with.  The tribunal accepted this was primarily due to a mental breakdown and placed on him an indefinite suspension so that he could recover and return when he was fit enough.

‘ Serious misconduct and client account misuse ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID DORRANCE who ran his own firm Dorrance & Co. Trafalgar House, Market St, Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, appeared before the tribunal accused of serious misconduct and client account misuse.  It was said that he failed to comply with directions despite being made a bankrupt.  The Tribunal decided that in the interests of protecting the public and the legal profession he could not be allowed to continue in practice and was therefore struck off.  He was ordered to pay costs of £7,266.78.

Just a few of many to be in this category which we will return to later.

‘ Solicitor in arrangement with prolific fraudster ‘

LAWYER JONATHAN KRESTIN was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court in 2008 of ‘facilitating the acquisition of criminal property on behalf of another person’ — he was  fined £5000 and in the case of default, to serve a default penalty of three months imprisonment.  He was a partner in the law firm Butcher Burns, Beaumont House, London.  He held the position of the firm’s Managing Partner, he had done an arrangement with prolific fraudster Michael Namer who went to prison for 6 years.  He later appealed a decision by the Disciplinary Tribunal, but this was refused.  he was ordered to pay costs of £1,709.82.

‘Lawyer in conspiracy to defraud ‘

SOLICITOR GRAHAM J. LEATHER of Ferguson Bricknell Solicitors, Kingsway House, Headington, Oxfordshire appeared before Southwark Crown Court in July 2009 on a charge of conspiracy to defraud.  It was stated that he acted as buyer and lender in 17 property transactions.  He was sentenced to 54 months in prison.  It was said that he behaved dishonestly, or alternatively, grossly reckless.  Some other charges were left on file.  It was later disclosed that in 2002 he had been before a tribunal and found guilty of conduct unbefitting a solicitor, and misusing his position as a solicitor and acting in a conflict of interests — the tribunal had imposed a fine of £5,000 and he was ordered to be struck off, as he’d been convicted of an offence of dishonesty.

‘ Isle of Wight Solicitor guilty of Fraud ‘

LAWYER TIM JOYNER a solicitor with the firm of ELDRIDGES for almost ten years, appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court in January 2013 charged with fraud and the abuse of his position.  For some strange reason the details of these offences were withheld.  He was found guilty and sentenced to 28 months in prison.  The background details say that ELDRIDGES suspended the solicitor when the wrong-doing was detected, and that they set up an internal investigation but Joyner refused to co-operate and he was dismissed.  The Police were advised and they took it over. Joyner joined the firm in 2003 in the civil litigation dept, and then moved onto and took charge of the Family Law Dept in 2011.

‘Sevenoaks Solicitor in fraud arrests ‘

LAWYER DALE WALKER was arrested with seven others and will appear at the City of London Magistrates on charges of fraud and financial crimes over a land-banking scam which began in 2008.  They are all accused of conspiracy to defraud — Walker faces additional charges of money-laundering.  The Financial Conduct Authority caught the eight men in their ‘Operation Cotton’ when they were investigating firms Plott UK, European Property Investments, and Stirling Alexander.  The investigators were on the look out for dodgy schemes which were duping investors….into buying worthless plots of land saying that they would get a massive profit, when in fact they were in areas where planning permission would never be granted.

‘ Woman Barrister fights husband all the way in Divorce Case (£2.7m)

BARRISTER JENIFER EVANS has fought her husband Mark in a divorce battle that has already cost nearly three million pounds in legal bills.  The Judge compared the squabble and tactics to that of a ‘spat in the nursery’.  The pair went from penniless to rich, owning an IT Firm accumulating around £41million.  They had homes in the UK, US, and Calcos Islands.  The Judge awarded 45 per cent of the £18million fortune to Jenifer Evans who lives in a £1 million apartment in Knightsbridge. The Judge said that a lot of the case was involved in ‘point-scoring’….he described their dispute as ‘puerile’

‘BBC Lawyers threaten Whistleblower with Prison ‘

THREATS, yes, then it will be Solicitors………BBC Employee Byron Myers once Head of Human Resources at the BBC turned informer when he discovered fraud, in that a BBC Manager was okaying payments to a company, First Positions, where his girlfriend worked.  When he reported the matter of tens of thousands of pounds being paid out in this conspiracy in 2011, he was suddenly aware of a cover-up.  In the face of this he decided to take the story to the newspapers.  The BBC responded to this by putting their Lawyers onto him who threatened him with a prison sentence for leaking information.  They also sent him a copy of ‘the Computer Misuse Act’…..there is never any surprise whose side you’ll find the solicitors on……just follow the money.

‘ Solicitors for Rolf Harris threatened Newspaper’

LAWYERS ACTING FOR MR HARRIS sent threatening letters to the Newspaper in an attempt to ‘gag’ the Press and keep their client’s arrest by police a secret.  LAWYERS HARBOTTLE & LEWIS used aggressive tactics to frighten off reporters.  It is said they have now ‘declined to comment’ since their campaign to suppress the news failed. 

‘The Lawyer who wasn’t — worked in the courts ‘

GIOVANNI DI STEFANO was accepted as a bona fide legal eagle who took on ‘unwinnable’ cases during 2001 to 2011, and in that time remained an accepted lawyer even though he had no qualifications and neither was he registered.  He was convicted on 25 charges including deception, fraud and money laundering….it was said he conned clients out of millions of pounds for his services.

‘ The Barristers Internet Web Scams ‘

It now appears that Barristers claiming that they are indeed what they are, and using London addresses and Chambers are sending out huge waves of e-mails ‘unsolicited’ to thousands, and here is one of those so called letters sent ‘ DAVID SMITH CHAMBERS – davidsmithbarrister65@yahoo.com  introduces himself as representing a deceased client — one Hillary S.  and goes onto say that your e-mail address ‘ is on the WILL!’  The claim is that — there is a ‘reasonable’ amount of money left to you in a codicil, and quite laughably says — this might sound ‘strange and unbelievable’ (as it really is) – but it is real and true? (which it is not) — it further claims that Mr Hillary S. met you ‘sometime’ in the past, and really puts its foot in it by saying — Mr Hillary S. left this money to support your humanitarian Medical Activities?……….so contact us immediately, as our first letter does not seem to have reached you!

They give Barristers Smith the address as being 33 Bedford Row, London, WC2 — David Smith and Associates.

Further research revealed the following lot :

ANDREW FRASER & ASSOCIATES – Principle Partners, Barrister Aidan Walsh Esq.  Markus Wolfgang, Barrister John Marvey Esq. and Barrister Jerry Smith Esq.

WEDLAKE BELL LLP — 52, Bedford Row, London WC2.

RICHARD POWELL & ASSOCIATES.

DAVID SMITH & CO. SOLICITORS — Barrister Chris Williams, Green Lanes, London. N4.   are sending out letters similar and variations on the theme…..arriving in your e-mail inbox soon.

It was suggested online that this might be coming from China or Nigeria.

NB: there  are many more such listings as the above with countless firms in this scam if you search for David Smith Solicitors/Barristers Scam.

Strangely, there is nothing that the Bar Council or Law Society are doing? …….it’s time they did, because the web page compiler is saying that this scam has been going on for many months.

‘Those PPI firms and Lawyers again!’

Wherever you find a PPI firm ‘cold-calling’ people on the phone, you can be sure there is one or more solicitor waiting to fleece you.  One man named Richard, actually took a stand against them when they phoned him, and warned them if they called him again, he would invoice them for £10 a minute of his time.  They did, and did so within a couple of weeks.  Richard sent them an invoice for £195, which they ignored, he had given them thirty days to pay the said invoice.  He then sent a reminder and warned them if it wasn’t paid it would go to the small claims court.  They responded with a LIE, claiming they had not called him, and actually stated this denial in the letter.  However, they’d picked the wrong man, Richard had recorded the calls, and presented them at the court hearing.  The County Court awarded him the £195, and they also had to pay court costs of £125.

ELSWORTH ASSOCIATES of Blackburn again involved in PPI became the focus of attention when after being on the good side; completing a claim for Shirley Sproule in Dumfries, they collected £295 in fees (25 per cent) in a claim with THE LLOYDS BANKING GROUP.  Some half year later, she received another bill from ELSWORTHS for £3,888 saying she owed them that for a claim she had made when she discovered that her and her husband were entitled to more compensation over other matters at Lloyds.  Shirley had sent a letter to ELSWORTHS saying the original claim was now closed….. but Elsworths did not care, they said that in the fine print was a clause — the ‘Catch All’ — entitling them to have cash without having done anything to earn it!   Shirley was not pleased, as ELSWORTHS could not show how they’d earned it, and they kept on referring to a protocol with LLoyds……after this became a ‘heated debate’ and the financial services were brought in, ELSWORTHS revised their bill and asked Shirley for £1,300?………….in the final ‘scrum’ they dropped the bill and Lloyds paid Shirley £200 in compensation.

‘ Ombudsman hits out at Solicitors Over-Charging ‘

Feb 28/2013  THE OVERCHARGING ISSUE YET AGAIN!   The Legal Ombudsman said the bills to clients were often exaggerated and high…..this comes as more complaints arrive on his desk about this particular issue.  ‘ Photocopying documents’ were being charged at a ridiculous level; one divorce client was charged £4,000 for just a photocopy — and itemised on bills as if they were a special service taking a huge amount of effort and time.  In fact, most small sundry items such as phone calls and other stationary were being used systematically to inflate the bills to clients.’……..just follow the money…..the Law Society remarked that this was a wake-up call for solicitors who fleeced clients.

‘Lawyers – A return to awful histories — ‘What were they like?’

We now take a couple of samples of ‘two honest respectable’ solicitors in the 1930’s:

‘The Downfall of a Respected Lawyer’

SOLICITOR CHARLES SHARMAN — What emerged shocked his colleagues and those around him in the legal profession. Because most of them respected him and admired him for his advocacy; he never talked nonsense and he showed the highest of integrity in the London Courts.  News of him being arrested and charged for a crime, namely ‘receiving stolen certificate shares’ and an additional ‘ forgery in connection with a stolen cheque’ didn’t seem possible.  In court it came out that he’d led a secret life of crime for several years and that the police had their suspicions for some time before pouncing.  It turned out that he was in a conspiracy with a gang to steal mailbags, and over the course of the years several ‘profitable’ bags had been disappearing.  However, one such bag containing war bonds for Canada led the police to him.  In court he at first pleaded not guilty, but due to a silly error in a statement, he changed his plea to guilty.  Mr Justice Salter felt that he could defer or commute the sentence to a suspended one, and sent the Senior Lawyer to prison for three years, and ordered him to pay all the prosecution costs in the case at The Old Bailey.

‘Conceit and Arrogance led Lawyer into Crime’

SOLICITOR ARTHUR NEWTON — Was enjoying the rewards of a lucrative Practice before finding himself in the dock at The Old Bailey.  He was charged with another man, of conspiracy to defraud Austrian Herr Thorsch out of his inherited fortune, grabbing around £13,000 (a considerable amount at that time).  In court it was said that Newton conspired with his partner in crime to get cash out of Thorsch in ‘ prospective land deals at a cheap price’ too good to miss.  Thorsch thought the lawyer was his friend despite the acquaintance being recent, and Newton said that there were ‘blocks of forest land in Canada’ just right for the asking….so the young Austrian trusted him (after all, you can trust a lawyer can’t you?).  Newton defended himself in court, yet could have had numerous willing lawyers who he’d given highly marked briefs, gladly represent him.  Newton played a good game trying to baffle the jury and his colleagues as he tried to paint wrong into right, craftily injecting confusion into the case……but Mr Justice Ridley was not taken in so easily, and the tactics of disclaiming he’d intended to swindle Thorsch failed. Furthermore, the Judge had been alerted to the fact that The Law Society had recently suspended the well respected lawyer on misconduct allegations……….Newton was sentenced to 3 years jail.

‘ Montague Mason Fraud Solicitor Caught ‘

LAWYER MAHMOOD ALI was caught in a raid by Fraud Cops who found along with a gold Rolex watch valued at nearly £15,000 several identities over a number of credit cards and documents at his home.  He even carried two identities when he went out?  The lawyer looked stunned as Police raided, and claimed it was all a mistake.  The Essex based Law Firm Montague Mason were said to have submitted false paperwork in 33 fraudulent mortgage transactions.  Investigations into the £7.8 million scam started in 2009.  Before Ali went on the run he was struck off the roll at a Disciplinary Court (SRA).

‘Lawyer tries to smuggle drugs into Jail ‘

SOLICITOR DAVID BLAIR WILSON is by no means the first Lawyer to brazenly walk into a prison with drugs for his client, it’s been done many times before.  On this occasion he was on his regular visit to his client in Edinburgh’s Saughton Jail.  It was said he merely walked in carrying his papers and folder normally unchallenged, but this time the police were suspicious and had guards ready to pounce.  They waited until he was leaving and then blocked off his car, he was then arrested for smuggling drugs and mobile phones to the prisoner, Steven Douglas, heroin addict and drug dealer. Wilson only became ‘spooked’ when guards wanted to examine the bulky folder.  He then took it back to his car and returned with a ‘slimmer’ folder….so they decided they would examine his car before he left the premises.  Instead of visiting the prison to see clients, he is now in prison having been sentenced to four years. 

‘ Barrister alcoholic fined for assault ‘

LAWYER TAMMY McNALLY appeared before the City of London Magistrates Court after having assaulted the bar manager Beata Sniezek of the Ye Olde London Pub near the Old Baily (one of the favoured ‘drinking troughs’ for lawyers).  It was said in court that the Barrister had a drinking problem and it had caused her trouble before; she had committed an assault before and was on probation, which she had recently breached.  Her solicitor said she was now attending an alcohol treatment programme.  She was ordered to pay her victim £100 in compensation.

‘ Lawyer Discipline mystery goes on ‘

THE PECULIAR CASE OF EMMA MARGARET COATES took some getting to, as it almost dropped off the radar due to the ‘strange way it could only be accessed’   The SDT have been rather weird on this one, but we did manage to get through and come up with a bigger story.   Emma Coates FCJLEx runs a company called Coates and Company in Selsey, West Sussex….the ‘shop’ looking premises doesn’t have the words solicitor anywhere except LAW written ….it appears more as a property letting agency and leads itself in this.  It also appears that other law firms in the high street somewhat distance themselves from this company too.  However, on finding information we did unearth that Emma Coates is appearing before a Disciplinary Tribunal which started in  2012, prosecution 362244 23rd Jan.  Allegations being put forward were — Improperly held money other than client money in the client account/ withdrawal of money from client acc and used same for her benefit, or the benefit of others to which she was not entitled/ failed to act in the best interests of the client by improper charging in an estate matter/ failed to deal with the SRA in an open and co-operative way/ and maintained a suspense client account ledger which could not be justified.   Further to this tribunal dates were fixed for the 14th of March and May the 23rd 2013…..no news as yet.  Surrounding this we know that an unsatisfied new client was billed for £500 without tendering an itemised account….and that the ‘shop’ closed for two days having put out a notice — gone to court  — earlier this year….plus the mystery of an investigation into £900,000 and a partner who quit over the matter (and rumours say suicide)………so we will stay on this one to find out the outcome and do an update when we have the Tribunal’s decision and findings.

‘The Coates Case continues’ —

EMMA COATES — goes before the Disciplinary Tribunal on a number of charges, results? still being held back?  Now it appears (November 10th 2014) ‘a woman of 43?’ is arrested by police at the Selsey Office, West Sussex in connection with the misappropriation of £85,000 taken from a client’s estate.  Information says that Coates & Co were representing a Middlesex woman in the London area in connection with the distribution of her estate to the beneficiaries.  ‘The un-named woman?’ was arrested on suspicion of fraud by abuse of position? criminal damage and money laundering….she has been released on bail until December the 19th 2014.

We will be back with an update in 2015……yes folks, this is a long roller!

‘ Lawyer takes out injunction to conceal affair ‘

ANOTHER CASE of the legal profession using secrecy by way of an injunction to keep the public from knowing about them.  The report says a Senior Lawyer obtained a ‘gagging order’ was granted an injunction, and in court he was referred to as an ‘elderly solicitor’  this move was to prevent the young lady in question from being able to publish anything of their affair said Mr Justice Tagendhat.

‘ Lawyer arrested in connection with bribe ‘

LAWYER IAN TIMLIN was arrested by police officers at his home in Kent.  The circumstances revealed say it concerns the hiring of of British Private Investigators who bribed policemen on behalf of a disgraced Nigerian Politician.  He was charged with ‘suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt a police officer, perverting the course of justice and money-laundering offences.  It was said he hired an agency for the disgraced Nigerian Governor.  The Law firm representing its former litigation partner at Speechly Bircham said it would be inappropriate to comment on the situation.

‘Law Firm Pay damages to JK Rowling’

THE LAW FIRM RUSSELS appeared at the High Court where proceedings had been brought against partner CHRIS GOSSAGE over data breaches which broke confidentiality of J K Rowling by revealing another pen name she used on publishing a book unlike the Harry Potter phenomena.  She had used the name ‘Robert Galbraith’ when writing a thriller called ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’…..the firm paid an undisclosed sum to a charity of her choice and reimbursing her legal costs.

‘ Solicitor in £730,000 School Scam ‘

SOLICITOR ANDREW WORMSTONE was out to cheat a sixth form college the report says, in that he took over the money they were going to pay a builder with for work at the school.  It is said that instead of the £730,000 going into the client account was transferred by the solicitor to buy gold.  Wormstone’s Law Firm VELOCITY, in Leeds was said in court to have put the bulk of the money into a client account name of ‘Mr Marshall’ who the police said, could not be traced.  The Solicitor was charged with fraud.

‘ Suspended Lawyer is struck off ‘

The High Court made the decision to strike off SOLICITOR MILLARD DECAL SPENCE who had originally been suspended by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal  — The tribunal found Mr Spence guilty of dishonesty in regard to statements he made to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.  He was suspended for three years in 2008, they appealed the decision.

‘ Solicitor ‘under investigation’ is found dead ‘

LAWYER PETER THOMAS MAINE who was being investigated by the SDT was found dead under ‘suspicious circumstances’ — he had stab wounds.  The Durham Solicitor had been with the firm HALL AND CO which had recently been closed down by the Law Society for dubious transactions.  The report says that around 30 detectives were called in to work on the investigation.

‘ Lawyer in Witness Tampering ‘

SOLICITOR MAJED IQBAL from Bradford was jailed for five years at Hull Crown Court for negotiating bribes at a court where his client was standing trial for money-laundering and perverting the course of justice.  It was stated that the lawyer was covering up for his client who was involved in a ‘drinks product scam’ valued at £310,000.  The lawyer’s client Yasar Hussain was convicted by the jury in his absence.

‘ Three Solicitors at Law LLP face Tribunal ‘

LAWYERS GABRIELE MICHAEL GIAMBRONE, ANNA CINZIA D’ARPA and ALLESANDRA BELLANCA appeared before a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal charged with committing serious breaches of misconduct.  The three Italian Solicitors based in London faced 14 charges….of which 12 were proved against Giambrone, and eight against the other two.  Giambrone’s name was withdrawn from the Foreign Solicitors Register.  He was ordered to pay £70,000 in costs — the other two were fined £2,000 each.

‘ Barrister falls foul of his own tongue and is barred ‘

BARRISTER ROBERT COLOVER was censored in court after he said that a 13yr old sexual abuse victim was predatory.  The report says that Judge Nigel Peters appeared not to mind the lawyer’s remarks, and this has led to the Judge being investigated by The Office for Judicial Complaints. (it’s obvious he has inadvertently exposed the ‘old boy’s’ network in the judiciary and how they think alike).  The CPS have now pulled the barrister from taking part in any similar cases while they carry out an investigation.

‘ Solicitor’s Certificate is Suspended immediately ‘

LAWYER ANDREW JOHN TAYLOR’s Practice received an order for ‘Intervention’, because the Committee believed there was good reason to suspect dishonesty on Taylor’s part.  Solicitor Andrew Taylor was with WEST END CHAMBERS in Cheadle — it was decided by the tribunal to suspend his practice certificate with immediate effect.

‘ Barrister is jailed over fraud ‘

LAWYER NADINE WILSON-ELLIS a recently qualified Barrister was jailed for seven months at Bristol Crown Court.  Despite having two properties in her ownership and £30,000 a year paid job as a lecturer teaching Law at Nottingham College full-time where she actually lived — she posed as an unemployed single mother to get a council flat in Bristol.  In interviews with the council she told them she was penniless and was only caught out when she applied for a larger flat.  The £10,000 scam helped her to pay the mortgages on the other two homes it was said in court.  She was found guilty of committing two offences of fraud under the fraud Act.  The council said she had defrauded them by £35,000 paid by the taxpayer.

‘ Struck off Solicitor’s Appeal fails ‘

SOLICITOR NATHANIEL AKINDELE FANIYI did not turn up to face the tribunal to face charges when he was summoned to appear before them.  He was found guilty in his absence of nine charges, one of dishonesty.  The tribunal ordered him to be struck off the Roll and ordered him to pay costs of £28,000…the High Court rejected his appeal.

‘ Struck off Lawyer and the Law Society Conflict ‘

We pulled this from 1986, and what it reveals will be of interest in a later ‘Exclusive Expose on the SRA’ we are working on right now — In 1986 a Court decided that LAWYER GLANVILLE DAVIES a Member of The Law Society Council had overcharged a client by £131,000.  However, The Law Society disagreed in the investigation and came to the conclusion he had acted properly? (which felt very strange at the time and didn’t add up)…But after a subsequent decision by The Court, DAVIES WAS STRUCK OFF and it was decided the complaint procedures needed some sort of Independency!…….which led to the setting up of the Solicitors Complaints Bureau….all well and good eh?  NO……because this soon came under criticism…..The Law Society found in their survey of the Bureau’ on reviewing 2,246 cases brought by complainants, that ‘two out of three’ complaints were dissatisfied with the outcome….which sparked a resignation from The Complaints Bureau — Director PETER ROSS  the Head of the Supervision of Solicitors suddenly quit……the organisation was facing a backlog of 17,000 cases against lawyers, and untimely for him, his resignation coincided with ‘The Times Newspaper’ revealing that the Public should be aware that it ‘could take up to a year or more’ for their complaint to be investigated; Ross had been in the £74,000 a year job for only 36 months…..and it had led to this shambles.  It is interesting to note that his resignation came four years after the system was overhauled following the closure of The Solicitors Complaints Bureau when VERONICA LOWE the Director stood down in 1995.

‘ Solicitor gets 4 years for fraud scam ‘

LAWYER NICHOLAS JOHN JONES used his legal skills to aid a mortgage fraud gang which included a former cop besides three others who operated one of the largest scams ever investigated in North Wales.  They all appeared at Mold Crown Court where they were found guilty…it was said in court that the solicitor prepared all the fake documents and gave the scam an air of legality to unsuspecting victims.

‘Law Firm Bindman’s  in suppression of Hacking Scandal Info ‘

JUDGE LORD LEVESON reacted strongly against accusations being levied and named Law Firm Bindman’s as being the ones to request ‘suppression’ of documents showing that legal firms among others were heavily involved of ‘the report of illegal practices’  Bindman’s are trying to say this was a ‘misunderstanding’….But SOCA The Serious Organised Crime Agency are saying despite the revelations into hacking involving law agencies, the report remains confidential?   ……. nothing new there.       Let’s have a brief look at this recently emerging ‘scandal 2’ as the newspapers claim.   They made a claim that ‘Leveson was looking after his own’ and that cannot be dismissed lightly, no matter what reactions he has made now….. he did declare the report out of his area of remit and chose not to say anything.,,,,, that Judicial Inquiry cost the taxpayer £5.5million….and as we can see, left quite an important issue out of it.  We already know that the Police got angry and ‘ratty’ about being picked on.  We also have the revelation that claims 80 per cent of the hacking was organised by Law Firms in the ‘melting pot’ of covert interests…..who it is now stated, acted for British telecom, insurers and wealthy individual contractors.  Anyone thinking that the Leveson Inquiry was a thorough honourable expose to regain respect in Society’s Law Agencies should think again……Even now, you are being denied the truth by SOCA and they aim to keep it that way…there will never be a ‘clean up’ in the Law/Legal Profession, not while they use a dirty brush.

‘ City Barrister with Fabricated CV is dismissed ‘

HIGH POWERED BARRISTER DENNIS O’RIORDAN, a City Lawyer enjoyed the good life as he set his sights on climbing the success ladder…..but this all came crashing around him when one more application to another chambers revealed that not all was well with his cv.  His claims of studying at Radley and a first class honours degree along with other International degrees such as Harvard in the USA proved to be fabricated when looked at closely.  He had already achieved getting in at other law firms and chambers…but not this time….now he has been forced to quit the firm he was working for.

‘ London Law Firm Closed down by the SRA ‘

CONSILIUM CHAMBERS were put under investigation less than a month after its Senior Partner was found in contempt of court.  In a statement issued by the SRA, it was said that there was reason to suspect the Firm Manager and Senior Partner BENNY THOMAS of dishonesty.  This arose from the ‘untruthfulness’ of his evidence given to the court.  His colleague SYED AKHTAR was also served with a closure notice, as was Mr Thomas.

‘ Lawyer in bid to keep her trial secret ‘

PROBABLY MORE OFTEN THAN ONE IMAGINES, LAWYER ASHA KHAN wanted her appearance at York Crown Court kept secret from the public….making the claim it was for ‘cultural reasons’   The Solicitor was said to have lied to cover-up her father’s speeding offence.  The News calls this ‘A Speeding Points Scam’ obviously trying to link in some way to ‘The Huhne Case’ with the connection of his wife.  She was convicted of trying to pervert the course of justice, and was given a suspended sentence by the Judge.  Apparently, she was a trainee lawyer with KK Solicitors in Newcastle….and despite this she decided to fabricate a plan so that her father, who had no valid driving licence caught on a speed camera in a Jaguar Car with personalised number plates.  Fake Action number 1 began, and he faked another driver’s name when sent a penalty notice.  But again he was caught speeding in Asha’s BMW…..fake 2….she got the penalty notice and put another driver’s name on that….she knew that driver and he agreed to the scam.  The Judge said she narrowly missed going to prison, ‘having got away with the first penalty, you tried it again thinking it would go the same way’…..she received a ten month suspended sentence, but will not be struck off?

‘ R S P C A keeps on bringing charges against Barrister ‘

BARRISTER JONATHAN RICH says that over a decade the RSPCA have been hounding him in its attempt to ruin his reputation and life.  He says the complaints are ‘spurious’ and still has three ‘active’ complaints yet to face, despite the fact that many of those before were all dropped, struck out or dismissed.  The RSPCA have made two direct complaints of ‘Professional Misconduct’ while nine others were made by people working on case files involving the RSPCA….and they claimed they played no role in helping to initiate the complaints against him. His professional life involved defending hundreds of people against the RSPCA’s allegations over twenty years…He tells of how things got a lot worse when he happened to be contacted by a ‘whistleblower’ at the RSPCA, Dawn Aubrey-Ward an inspector at the Animal Organisation, who said that they tried to destroy her character when she revealed information on the way the Charity did things that the public were unaware of.  Unfortunately, she committed suicide.  Jonathan Rich said that this vendetta has cost him nearly a £1million in legal bills to himself and his insurers.

NB:  See the RSPCA article in related Topics — As it has been revealed that they are accessing Police Database files at the rate of 124 a month getting a look at personal data….the Information Commissioner is now looking into the Charity’s dealings.

‘ Leveson Lawyer ‘merely assisted’ now becomes ‘significant role’ ‘

LORD JUSTICE LEVESON said at the inquiry that LAWYER CARINE PATRY HOSKINS ‘ merely assisted in the largely mechanical exercise of collecting and organising the evidence to support the generic criticisms’ and almost convinced ‘some of the people for some of the time’…… Lawyer Hoskins we are told had an ‘affair with Hugh Grant’ one of the main complainers and claimants (for damages against the newspapers)… it has been revealed that she got £213,000 for her work in 2011- 2012, which was put to Leveson, who had to reveal more on this expenditure….and the role became larger…in that she also questioned witnesses, liaised with lead counsel and drew up lines of questioning….and the Rule 13 letters outlining the inquiry’s criticism of the Press before the report was published.

‘ Lawyer struck off for tax swindle and property con ‘

SOLICITOR MALCOLM GRAHAM of SFM LEGAL SERVICES had a good thing going when he told clients he was an expert in avoiding tax and cutting stamp duty at the point of sale.  In 2007 he was saying he could slash taxes in half and drew in customers who fell for it.  He was thoroughly convincing and even had ‘a letter’ from a top barrister who appeared to approve his scheme.  The books and paperwork were at times confusing according to the SRA who began to take an interest.  In 2009 the Northumbrian Police were investigating a mortgage fraud and found that Graham was mentioned, but they had nothing on him.  But when his name was flagged up again they got interested….. the HMRC were chasing his clients for unpaid taxes!  The SRA  put Graham on their list and began an investigation, Graham was not particularly helpful and by stealth, the Tribunal could see that he was misleading his clients.  The supposed ‘Approval letter was fabricated and had originally said no to his scheme, and he altered it to look as if it did endorse it along with HMRC approval.  As things began to look worse for Graham he liquidated his firm and owed around £500,000…..and it collapsed owing just over £1 million….during that time he took earnings of £1 million plus.  The Tribunal found him guilty of dishonesty on 16 counts, and fabricating a letter…..he was struck off.  In October 2013 he appeared before Newcastle Crown Court on 7 counts of fraud brought by the HMRC…..it was a £1.6million fraud.  The Judge did not jail him and he was disqualified from being a company director for 11 years.   As to the many losing clients and mortgager holders?  the SRA do not make any mention of compensation or reparation!

‘ £35 million made by Five Law Firms suing the NHS ‘

RETURNING YET AGAIN TO THE TAXPAYERS LIABILITY VIA THE LAWYERS — Still happening, as we’ve been in this area before much earlier on this page, and nothing really changes.  A new ‘eye-opener’ says that five law firms have been having a great time filling their bank accounts with public money…..on this No Win, No fee thing thought to have become respectable and sorted out so no-one is ripped off.  Let us take a look at these firms —  IRWIN MITCHELL & Co  Alison Eddy – £189 million/  LEIGH DAY &Co  Russell Levy – £5.5 million/  PANNONE LLP Stephen Jones — £3.6 million/  GADSBY WICKS & Co  Gillian Gadsby — £3.5 million  and FREETH CARTWRIGHT  Jane Williams – £3 million.  These lot are often referred to as the ‘medical blunders chasers’  ….all these well to do lawyers were criticised by MP Charlotte Leslie who said ‘ Lawyers have spotted a cash cow, milking it and are making a mint’

THE MID STAFFORDSHIRE SCANDAL – LAWYERS GRAB HALF OF THE VICTIM’S CASH —  This report focuses on a leading situation where one patient received a compensation payout of £6,500 while lawyers grabbed £221,000. Following this it picks up on another patient who got £15,000 and Lawyers received £50,000.  It says that these ‘Ambulance-chasing Lawyers’ took almost half of the £7.4million in compensation paid out to claimants.  The mention of charging £900 per hour does not come as a surprise these days, because wherever there is the opportunity to profit from someone’s downfall or misfortune, lawyers are ready to step in and take it.  In 2012 Legal firms took in the region of £250 million through claims against the NHS.

‘ The Gravy Train continues its journey to the Taxpayer indefinitely ‘

YET AGAIN RETURNING TO AN OLD CHESTNUT of how much can Lawyers get………and while this train is nowhere near to hitting the buffers or being derailed, the answer is infinitum.  A recent news item tells us that Lawyers are are ‘trawling’ through the jails and prisoners for possible clients who they can represent in ‘Human Rights’ cases……the writer considers them as vultures and asks why the Law Society aren’t doing anything?  and we now go onto THE LEGAL AID RACKET……which one outraged observer says his ‘punishing the poor taxpayers of the UK.   The Law Society says that the average legal aid lawyer makes only £25,000 a year from cases in this domain? …..but we do concur with the fact that it is the Leading Barristers who are grabbing the most money….along with certain high profile solicitors…..and they have no concern for the low paid at all…. sort them out and reduce their fees might go some way to making amends.  It also appears that the Legal Aid Scam is still including the Asylum claimants we discussed over two years ago on this site.  There were half-hearted promises by the Judiciary to get their house in order, but as we can see…it wasn’t and it isn’t.  Even rejected cases apparently earn a lawyer £1,000 a time….and the report says 9 out 10 are being thrown out in the 10,000 cases it quotes as ‘meritless immigration and asylum appeals fail……and yet again the Legal Aid Lawyers are out to clean up.

‘Barrister’s Chambers must close due to cuts ‘

CIVIL RIGHTS TOOK ANOTHER BATTERING as the Legal Profession forced TOOKS CHAMBERS to close due to the savage legal aid cuts mainly affecting the poor. It was understood to be a direct result of government policies which are devastating the provision of legal services and threatening the rule of law.  Such moves by the Justice Secretary are actively making it almost impossible for the poor to get representation in a court.

‘ Lawyers claim £57,000 in £4,000 court payout case ‘

Amid the furore of Solicitors disgust over Legal Aid Cuts, a different situation and picture emerges, almost in contradiction of the ‘hard done by claims’  LAW FIRM LUCAS LAW and Solicitor JARED BAILEY scooped an alarming £57,000 in expenses (legal fees as it is called)…..They were representing Pauline Harrison in an accident claim…and won for her, £4,000.  The Macclesfield Law Firm then claimed £57,000 in costs.  By way of note, Pauline Harrison was a PCSO and on duty with the police when the accident occurred.  Solicitor Jared Bailey refused to comment over the matter of costs when Press Reporters  tried to get answers.

‘ Those Secret Court Rulings harm the Judiciary ‘

MP’S ARE SAID TO BE ON THE VERGE OF INTERVENING?  The Justice Select Committee are said to be looking at and considering the issue of ‘Out-of-hours Court of Protection cases after it was revealed that some of the judges involved were making decisions over the phone.  These secret courts that rule on welfare issues with the power to give secret jailing sentences should receive greater scrutiny says MP’s…….some lawyers are saying that the system was being abused to push through non-urgent cases…..and the Justice Ministry were quick to say that it was in the best interests of a vulnerable person…….is this law by the backdoor or what?

‘3 years in jail for lying trainee lawyer ‘

TRAINEE LAWYER RHIANNON BROOKER got too familiar with the ways of legal game play when she decided to invent a rape scenario to avoid the date of her exams and get more time to study….and her jail sentence of three years looks ideal for future studies.  Convicted trainees and Lawyers have returned to practise so she still has hope there.  She claimed her boyfriend Paul Fensome attacked and injured her, and as a result lost her baby?  But this all fell apart when the police were not satisfied on what the investigation was pulling up….after talking to the boyfriend they decided to arrest her instead.  The mother of one, was charged with 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and making false claims.  Bristol College declined to comment.

‘ TV Barrister says lawyers are a waste of money ‘

‘THE JUDGE JUDY’ UK TV JUDGE — BARRISTER ROB RINDER a Criminal Barrister no less, is regularly cocking a snide remark at the Law as he Lords over the TV courtroom.  On a recent occasion he commented ‘I hope you didn’t hire a legal lawyer, they’re a total waste of money’ (5th Sept 2014).  Several times he has posed the joke ‘What is a 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?…….. A start!’   Joking aside, one wonders if these ‘casual’ remarks are more poignant and deliberately aimed at the profession and his colleagues? especially as he likes to amuse the audience and get these remarks into one or more cases during the week.

‘ Amstrad Millionaire Sugar, sues his Legal team ‘

SIR ALAN SUGAR the well known businessman who ran Amstrad, a football team and big boss in ‘the apprentice series on tv’ has begun a law suit against his own solicitors over a property deal.  It is stated that he is taking his solicitors – KINGSLEY NAPLEY CENTRES in connection with his property empire for £1.2 million.  The claim has been filed in the High Court….in which he says he was forced to pay £1million to Longmire the Jewellers after his lawyers mishandled efforts to take vacant possession of the premises in New Bond St.

MORE ON LEGAL ACTIVITY:

Wapping Lawyer keeps ‘hacking tapes in safe’  — this matter concerned MP David Blunkett and the reported affair run by Newspapers.  Lawyer Tom Crone represented News International.  It is now revealed that he kept secret tape recordings of the former home secretary of telephone conversations…..which were presented in the recent hacking affair showing how long the newspaper had been carrying out this kind of activity, and the Blunkett recordings were around 2001.

Wealthy FA Club Tottenham uses Lawyers to crush local football club — a football club that until recently adored the ‘Spurs Team’  — until that is – they received legal documents from the Tottenham ‘highly paid Legal Team’ threatening them with court action if they did not remove the bird on the badge….claimed as being taken from the Spurs.  The small Hampshire non-league club in Fleet founded by 1948 ex-soldiers in Farnborough said they cannot take on the might of these lawyers, and are dismayed at the stand the Tottenham Club have taken.

 PS – This kind of gameplay by associations and companies is not uncommon — the use of high powered lawyers to intimidate is a regular thing.

SOLICITOR SUES FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL — The un-named female solicitor said she had suffered humiliating discrimination when she applied for and was offered a job with another legal firm — but this position was then withdrawn because of an unfavourable letter from her former bosses who said she had a poor relationship with staff at his firm…..it was agreed at the tribunal that the letter did act unfavourably causing the new firm who had been satisfied with the applicant were influenced by it.  This case was brought in 2010 Bullimore v Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors — and the case was later referred back to the tribunal?

LAWYERS ON STRIKE OVER LEGAL AID CUTS — Some Lawyers actually, those who claim poverty?…which is hard to see really with all these legal firms on TV chasing accident claims  for victims of negligence etc.  Cuts in the Legal Aid bill are said to be aiming for 30 per cent….which lawyers say will affect their street practices and the people they see.  They claim it will ‘endanger the legal profession’ which is more to the point really!

LAWYERS IN TROUBLE OVER ENTICEMENT — Law Firms have been banned from trying to round up clients by enticing them with gifts like iPods’  vouchers or cash incentives etc,  to get people to make claims for personal injury.  The Justice Secretary says he will prevent law firms from promising incentives to encourage them to exploit the system of compensation.  Without actually pointing at solicitors, he did hint that what they were doing contributed to Insurance fraud, which has steadily increased since ambulance chasing lawyers began adverts on TV etc, encouraging claimants to launch lawsuits for just about anything.

CROOKED LAWYERS TO BE TARGETED — Solicitors who profit from crime but are beyond the reach of the law for one reason or another are to be targeted under new measures in the Queen’s Speech.  They will no longer be able to claim ignorance of their clients’ activities as a defence against prosecution (as they have done in many other cases).  A new offence of ‘Participation in an organised crime group’ could cover people who write up legal contracts for major criminals, rent them warehouse space or provide them with courier services.  Those lawyers convicted of ‘turning a blind eye’ to the criminal activities of a client will face up to five years in jail.

POORLY TRAINED LAWYERS FAIL IN YOUTH COURTS — A report says that children are being failed because they attract poorly trained, less experienced lawyers who wrongly believe that children’s cases are less complex than adult law.  It was found that there is a shortage of specialists in the youth justice system…and more often than not, the youth court is often mistakenly used as a place for junior and trainee lawyers to ‘cut their teeth’ resulting in bad representation and inappropriate sentences being proposed.

LIBEL LAWYERS CARTER-RUCK SUE TWO LAW FIRMS — Gaining more notoriety and perhaps dislike by fellow lawyers, Carter-Ruck claimed two victims in the Legal Profession.         ‘Solicitors sued in negligence action’ — £10 million for their client was achieved by them in a Professional Negligence Claim.  Carter-Ruck acted under a conditional fee arrangement (No win, No fee) — when they represented Liquidator Peter Kubik of UHY Hacker Young.  In their second case they sued a Professional Sportsman’s Solicitors for negligence.  The case was settled in mediation and the Sportsman received substantial damages and costs.  A confidential clause was in operation omitting the solicitors names.

‘ Libel Lawyers Schillings and the £15 million Scandal ‘

At the centre of this ‘little known’ and ‘publicly suppressed’ item involving Law Firm SCHILLINGS, is their client — RETAIL LOSS PREVENTION.  Much of what Schillings were prepared to do concerned making threats on behalf of this company.  Schillings were basically hired to ‘silence’ opposition and take out any bad publicity against their client….. and they were ready and willing to do so even if it was another Law Firm.  The case of two girls caught shoplifting and their lawyers publication of documents had Schillings on the warpath — they demanded the online publication be removed.  But things were about to get much worse after they chose a second target in Richard Dunston of the CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau); they accused him of leading a campaign against their client and took out a defamation case against him saying ‘ he had orchestrated a 3 year long campaign of harassment and defamation against their client and its staff’……they demanded that Dunston remove two reports from his website concerning the previous matter of the two girls.  They finally came up against a rock in that the Law Firm Legal Beagles resisted the oppressive demands by Schillings and went ahead with a publication of a letter on its site that Schillings were opposed to.

The above case centres round a so-named racket involving compensation to companies involving the suing of thieves in the civil courts….. where the money won by these ‘biggy-companies’ far outweighs the amount actually stolen……and some of those companies mentioned are Boots, Primark, Superdrug, Tesco and the Debenhams store.  The expose says that Schillings are trying to suppress the £15million scandal…..and from what we can see on the Internet they have managed to take out some pages….. the one for the girls by their lawyer….. they are certainly trying to keep anybody from attacking their client in any way….. RETAIL LOSS PREVENTION should be investigated, despite Schillings shouting ‘Libel and Defamation’ at every question.

‘ £19 million Legal Bill spent by Severn Trent Utility ‘

THE STAGGERING BILL of nineteen million pounds in legal fees was run up by Severn Trent Water Company….. it was spent on Lawyers and Advisers when it rebuffed three takeover approaches from a Canadian Consortium that put in a bid of £5.1 billion.

THE EXPOSE ON THE SOLICITORS REGULATION AUTHORITY

PART ONE:  ‘The Scandal of the racial intolerance within the profession’

Before going on to the real stuff, we introduce this by looking at a recent Law society news piece on 14th of October 2013.

‘THE LAW SOCIETY’S DISCIPLINARY ARM FACES CLAIMS OF SHARP PRACTICE’

Mr Peter Herbert has strongly come out saying that Regulators who oversee the conduct of solicitors in England and Wales are embroiled in extraordinary claims of sharp practice, racism and a cover-up.  Peter Herbert is the Chairman of the Black Lawyers Association and he is calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into solicitors claims that Regulators targeted them for blowing the whistle on wrong-doing by colleagues.

‘ BREAKING THE SILENCE’  the Internal report on the SRA in 2012……issued by The Society of Black Lawyers.

The report was the result of an 18 month evaluation looking into the Rappore with the SRA. which as one reads, was not really going well at all.

It was found that – There was consistent failure on part of the SRA to disclose information in their ‘possession’ which undermines the case that they are bringing against an accused solicitor.

Instances of the SRA making allegations against solicitors where dishonesty is being alleged — that their case-workers know are not substantiated and in some cases wholly unjustified.

The SRA’s Intervention power is derived from The Solicitors Act 1974 (as amended) and there have been more than 5,000 interventions made against ‘suspect’ solicitors and firms.

They claim that they have found that the SRA have been running a ‘Discrimination’ situation albeit discreetly hidden and denied of course.

Inconsistencies:  To ethnic minority solicitors compared to white solicitors, the SBL identified cases of white solicitors where the case officer recommended a reprimand and failed to refer the matter to the police (those involving money-laundering).  The white solicitor was afforded a great deal of leniency by the SRA because they needed him to give evidence in their case against an ethnic minority solicitor.

Another example of SRA ‘Bending’ involved The SDT — Where the Chairman of the SDT was forced to recuse himself from presiding over a case due to a clear conflict of interest (That Chairman was Mr Barnecutt).

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 — enacted in 2001 January does not apply to The SRA or Law Society, they are not required to release or give information to anyone?

Finally — It claims that solicitors are being denied representation at a Tribunal because their Insurers are refusing to meet the legal costs, leaving them ‘high and dry’

OVERLY AGGRESSIVE SRA —  On the 1st of November 2012  Solicitor QC Andrew Hopper said that The SRA are ‘Overly Aggressive’, ‘Unaccountable’ and was failing to differentiate dishonesty over human error…. he said it went as far as compromising the SDT (Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal).

THE SRA AND GAGGING ORDERS — (Civil Restraints Orders) — Professor Gus John was appointed to look into 14 cases by the SRA, as requested by Peter Herbert, Chairman of the Black Lawyers Society…. but apparently 12 were withdrawn and only two cases were forwarded to Professor Gus John?

‘The strange SRA arrests Affair’  — This affair seems to throw up more questions than it answers for the SRA and SAS as well as confidence in the legal profession.  Information supplied (by a solicitor) tells of two arrests, one at the SRA and the other at the SAS….and a cover-up by the SRA who denied it?  This item tells of a meeting with the Law Society in Birmingham with an unnamed solicitor?  …… and in addition to this we have a man named as Townsend who is leaving the SRA (but further comments are saying he was asked to leave)….all very worrying for the public who are told the law acts above board!   

NB: The SRA did not reveal the names of these officials nor were they willing to, in fact ‘concealment’ was their objective from day one when certain solicitors tried to uncover the identities of the arrested pair….the Police too aided and abetted this secrecy….which says more about the law than they had hoped.

 Part Two:

‘ The Baxendale Case ‘

This complex case may seem to the reader like an ‘In-fight’ among the Legal bigwigs, but its ramifications take us to an area that can only be described as ‘unsettling and corruption-tainted’ and one that is probably repeated in the Legal Profession throughout the UK.  We say that in the knowledge that even now as we publish this, a secret court in Guildford is conducting a serious ‘land and property’ case against two to three judges and at least two Law Firms….and one man’s silence has been worth up to £600,000 so far (paid by a firm of solicitors)…it was at first said that it would be a public trial during the Summer of 2013, but it suddenly changed to a ‘private’ trial with no Press allowed!……so having said that, let us look at the Baxendale Affair.

First we have Paul Baxendale-Walker (The Plaintiff) also known as ‘David Keys’  known in court as ‘BWS’  Baxendale claims to be a Solicitor of The Supreme Court and an expert in Tax…he is also with the Law Firm Baxendale-Walker….where we find FSL Services Ltd.

The Defendants are:  David Middleton Solicitor with the Supreme Court until 2007 and then Head of Investigations at The OSS…..and Head of Legal at The SRA.   We also have Martyn Duerden who was an Investigating Officer with the SRA…….both of whom were employed by the third defendant – The Law Society; vicariously liable.  The fourth defendant is Aiden Langley, solicitor employed by Deloitte LLP.  The fifth defendant is Alex Thornton employed by Deloitte as ‘manager and thought to be a barrister. The Sixth defendant is Steven Woodhouse a partner in Deloitte LLP.   The Seventh Defendant is Anthony Hyman Isaacs who was Chairman of The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Now we come to the ‘theatre’ played out at  The Queen’s Bench in The High Court.

Paul Baxendale-Walker becomes David Keys who is posing as an Investigation Director with the Special Investigations Section (SIS) said to be working for the HMRC as part of its Private Litigation Initiative; it’s interesting to see that he denied being an HMRC Officer.  He also says that at all material times prior to the events leading up to the case he was a Solicitor of the Supreme Court (representing Baxendale-Walker). He was at the time when dealing and acting for the defendants, a very well known and high profile expert in Tax, and no scheme he devised was successfully challenged or was the subject of a challenge in the UK (by HMRC or?).

He alleged that David Middleton and Martin Duerden (specifically in 2000) acting on behalf of the OSS, formed the joint intention of conducting a fraudulent case against him with the intention of destroying his tax practice and possible dismissal from The Solicitors Roll orchestrated by the SDT and Anthony Hyman Isaacs.  Keys (Paul Baxendale) says they intended to show that he was committing fraud on the HMRC,  He accuses that these two conspired to recruit Aiden Langley, Alex Thornton and Deloitte LLP.  Transcripts state that Steven Woodhouse, not recruited knowingly, connived to the perpetration of the frauds by Aiden Langley and Deloitte LLP, intending to prejudice the claimant.  It furthermore suggests that Steven Woodhouse became a partner to the conspiracy alleged against Deloitte LLP and its employees; and it is said they knew that the allegations against the claimant were false.

Keys AKA Paul Baxendale-Walker claims damages from the defendants for conspiracy to injure, conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to use unlawful means, a malicious falsehood and Misfeasance in Public Office.

Postscript: if you’re confused by the parties involved, you are right to be, because it reads like a TV show and Pantomime….questions arise such as ‘Why was there a secret Investigation going on?  Why the involvement of the HMRC?   Why an assumed name by Baxendale? and what of these Tax Schemes? and finally, why were some of the players with the SRA, Law Society and SDT….plus The OSS?  What were they up to? and if Keys  or Baxendale is right then we are looking at a ‘fit-up’ and ‘fabrication of evidence’ by some very key legal players.

Sadly, we don’t have the final scene, nor the outcome of  the allegations…our source has not provided it!  She did say some things and items had to be withdrawn because of tricky legal situations…..but maintains that this affair points to corruption in the SRA and other branches in the Lawyers Profession.

 Part Three:

‘ Blatt and Calvert’

News arrived that the SRA had become aware of wrong-doings within its own organisation and they arrested Mr Andrew Blatt and questioned Mike Calvert under caution……. further to this it was said ‘instead of carrying out a proper investigation, disciplining the culprits, the SRA simply resorted to suppressing the matter.

Mike Calvert was with the SRA for approximately 30 years.

Andrew Blatt seems to be a kind of ‘broker’ who met an accused solicitor and offered some sort of service? which apparently was not appreciated by the ‘victim’ solicitor.

It was alleged that there was a huge surge in the number of investigations and ‘interventions’ from 2005 — 2008 which remained ‘unexplained’ until ‘ SRA GATE’ arrived in the public domain.  Some Panel Meetings were conducted over the phone, and some of those panel members lacked the paperwork in connection with the case they were about to convene.

The Blatt and Calvert matter did get the attention of the CPS, but they did not pursue it?

West Mercia Police interviewed Blatt and Calvert!

Mike Calvert was Head of Forensic Investigation for the SRA who looked into solicitor misconduct, breaches of the rules and dishonesty in the Legal Profession.

Then there was the strange case of Mike Brown (The Whistleblower) who said if his name was mentioned, he would deny everything?

Background stuff on the SRA says that they receive around 3,600 reports out of a total of 9,000 – about 40 percent which Calvert thought should be higher. In 2009/2010 only 28 reports resulted in a visit from the Forensic Investigators due to — the SRA consider many to be trivial in nature or decide that the risk of misconduct and dishonesty is low.  The Practice Standards Unit are only there to improve standards through the promotion of client care and excellence…..not dirty deeds!     Only the SRA’s Forensic Division visits Law Firms and audit potential evidence of the misuse of client money, serious misconduct and malpractice.  The SRA receives around 18,000 complaints against solicitors, and in addition they collect nearly 4,000 pieces of intelligence about solicitors not related to complaints.  It is said that the SRA give ‘very little’ notice of a Forensic Investigation — around 3 – 5 days.  In 2010 the Forensic Investigators made 400 visits to Legal Practices…… 70 per cent of these resulted in a critical report or disciplinary action.

It was admitted by the SRA that ‘Mortgage Fraud’ continued to be rife with an increasing number of solicitors becoming involved in corrupt relationships involving facilitation.  Calvert noted that a growing number of legal professionals under investigation are found to be the perpetrators of the frauds.  The SRA is also seeing an increase in the numbers of solicitors being ‘groomed’ with a bank of wills being drawn in their favour and a rise of generic scams in the profession where solicitors have an hidden interest in a separate business which adds no value to a client’s matter, but is used to procure a product or work, and to generate cash flows for the solicitor….. and the amounts are quite astonishing!

The Finale:  The source of our material.

SOLICITOR ASHOO DUA — who approached this site and offered documents to support her belief that the SRA were not above board and often acted against the decent solicitor….. sometimes quite disgracefully!

Ashoo Dua and the SDT.

Ashoo Dua Case 10550/2010 – Appeared before a tribunal on charges of Rule Breaches in regard to accounts.

The tribunal said that she had failed to carry out proper reconciliations of client account breaches/ monies were drawn from the client account exceeding those held for particular clients. That personal monies paid into the the client account in respect of respondent’s own was a conveyancing breach. Failure to remedy breaches, and failure to produce documents on request promptly.

The outcome at the Tribunal hearing was that she was given a suspension for a fixed period of a year, and was ordered to pay costs of £70,674.

Ashoo maintains that her hearing was unfair and that the SDT’s Chairman Jeremy Barnecutt had undue and improper influence over the other members of the panel on October the 4th 2011.  Remarks of her being extremely disruptive in the court were recorded against her over a 30 minute lateness.  She says that the SRA did not wait for her accountant’s report and as a result they just ‘steam-rolled’ in and intervened!

She also says that there was no proof of dishonesty. there were no monies missing, and that the client account held her own surplus monies

She challenged it and lost her case (costing her £160,000) on an indemnity basis. She was refused an appeal for an oral hearing and was also unfairly barred from the Supreme Court……leaving her the only option of the European Court.

The bill to her has now escalated to around £500,000 and the SRA keep on piling up their charging orders!

Investigations on her practice at Ferndown House in Fulmer began in 2008, and the nightmare imposed by the SRA and SDT have continued relentlessly.

Note: Whether this article has proved SRA corruption to the degree Ashoo Dua hoped, we don’t really know, It has however revealed many things to the public that they didn’t previously know, especially how oddly and alarmingly those in Legal Departments operate without accountability…plotting and twisting the meaning of the law to harm, ridicule and bankrupt citizens that don’t fall in line with them.

IF THERE IS ANOTHER ‘WHISTLE-BLOWING’ SOLICITOR OUT THERE WHO HAS SOMETHING — CONTACT US.

Note: we have another Solicitor with an axe to grind….who wants to expose more legal evil about a legal profession in conflict.

No 2.  ANAL SHEIKH Versus THE LAW SOCIETY, SRA and BAR COUNCIL and others!

Solicitor Anal Shiekh accuses Matthew Coats Director of The Legal Aid Agency and Baroness Ruth Deech, Chair person of the BSB of contempt of court.

Anal Shiekh was a Legal Aid Practitioner for 17 years….she says that in 2005 the Law Society raided and burgled her office in an attempt to steal her client’s bank deposits and client files.  She adds that she was the first solicitor in a period of 45 years to have successfully gained a decision that set aside a judgement — an Intervention Part 2 of the Solicitors Act 1974 in her own case – Anal Sheikh v The Law Society HC 2005 Ch.  She makes specific reference to ‘Legal Aid Cuts’ UK8, and says that Civil Courts are being used to steal high value properties from individuals (Doc 133) and to commit insurance fraud (Doc 140) calculated at around £45 million, which would never have been attempted had legal aid been widely available.

She also accuses the State of Corruption, and Human Rights Abuses.  In the cited case of Margaret Gomm she says there is evidence of the Legal Aid Agency’s collusion with the State, plus activity in bribery and corrupt behaviour involving rogue staff.  She furthermore claims that the SRA are stealing residual balances from ‘unlawful interventions’ (possibly around £55 million, largely untraceable) which could be transferred and used as their own fees whenever they wished to apply this method.  She says that for around the past fifty years no-one has thoroughly checked out the ‘so-thought orders’ (Interventions) which have been ‘Passed Off’ and mistaken for a court order, when in fact, it is merely a type written sheet.

She informs us of how a considerable amount of taxpayers money is being used on proceedings which do not legally exist?    She says in her own fight through the system cost the public around £4 million over 5 years.

She says The Attorney General could stop the fraud, but declines to act upon it, which would recover some £300 million, and asks why Mr Grieve ignores this?

She again uses strong words of attack and condemnation saying that the Legal Aid Agency are actively engaged in the theft of land and property, and that they conspire with The Minister of Justice in defrauding members of the public.

In ‘The Gomm Case’ cited by Anal Sheikh, one is instantly confronted by the possibility of a deceptive plan set in motion to grab her land – three and a half acres she possessed by the solicitors.  There is also the strange connection of Barrister Marc Beaumont of Windsor Chambers who was appointed by them without her prior knowledge, who claimed that she had waived the protection afforded under S 17 of The Legal Aid Act 1988, it further goes on to say that the Judge consented to its application and endorsed it.   What then followed was that she was no longer the owner, and that her home had a charge on it…. all done under the gaze of the Aberystwyth County Court.  She was invariably made homeless several weeks later!  Strangely enough, Mrs Gomm did not at any time, transfer the title of ownership, or give it away….. it was simply ‘snatched’ by agents of the State for nothing other than Gain!  which more or less falls within a criminal act if you’re ‘Joe Bloggs’…but  not the same for the state or someone acting on its behalf…..and incidentally, the last time the title deed of the property was seen, was with Barrister Marc Beaumont?

Solicitor Anal Sheikh wants all the afore-mentioned players in this ‘Act’ to face justice, and in her application says that Mr Coats should face a prison sentence along with Baroness Deech.  As for Barrister Marc Beaumont, she says he ought to be referred to a Disciplinary Tribunal at the Bar Association, with a recommendation that he should be struck off.  She also advises that both parties, Deech and Beaumont should have their previous cases and dealings looked over and examined under heavy scrutiny and investigation.

She furthermore informs us that her letters to all, and the courts, have been largely ignored and what exists now, is a wall of silence…… and that is why she has approached the Supreme Court in this matter.

Under here ‘SCHEDULE’ which states who she accuses of misconduct in public office, she identifies the Barristers Chambers because of the apparent link between certain Chambers and certain types of Economic Frauds……so we set them out direct from her documents in their original form:

Column  A  These are parties against whom complaints of gross misconduct , misconduct in public office , deceit, fraud, theft and insurance fraud. In the Theft of Mrs Gomm’s House and Three and a Half Acres of Land the parties are not limited to barristers. In the SRA’s Bank Scam Compensation Fund Fraud , the Red River Conveyancing and Mortgage  Fraud and the Bar Mutual  Fraud the parties are limited to barrister it would be too cumbersome to detail everyone. 
Column  B  The reason that  the  Barrister’s   Chambers are identified is because there   appears to be a link between certain barristers’ Chambers and certain types of  economic frauds.  For example·                Land fraud appears to be associated with 11 Stone Buildings (Nigel Meares, Edward Cousins QC,  Lexa Hilliard, Marc Dight, Robert Deacon were all involved in the Red River Conveyancing and Mortgage Fraud)·                Insolvency fraud appears to be associated with South Square. ·                The SRA’s Compensation Fund Fraud appears to be associated with Fountain Court ( Timothy Dutton QC, Patricia Robertson QC, Gregory Treverton Jones QC)·                Land fraud, the Bar Mutual fraud and  judicial impropriety generally appears to be associated with Serle Court  (Michael Briggs QC, Ann McAllister, Land Adjudicator, Sir Nicholas Bratza) and Maitland Chambers  (Sir Andrew Morritt  Sir Colin Rimer, Sir Nicholas Patten, Sir Richard  McCombe) , all  of whom were directly involved in the Red River Conveyancing and Mortgage Fraud 
Column  C   The parties involved in Mrs Gomm’s case 
Column  D   The barristers involved in the first layer of the SRA’s Bank Scam Compensation Fund Fraud
Column E   The barristers involved in the first layer of the Red River Conveyancing and Mortgage  Fraud
Column FThe barrister involved in the second layer of the SRA’s Bank Scam Compensation Fund Fraud and  the Red River Conveyancing and Mortgage  Fraud . This is the barrister who was  instructed to continue  with Column D  & E  cases or were instructed in  breach of duty claims  against Column D & E barristers or who should have seen their breach of duty, deceit.   ( There are several in Mrs Gomm’s case) 
Column  G  The barristers involved in the third  layer of the frauds which is the Bar Mutual Fraud . They include barristers instructed to defend Column D, E & F barristers and Column D , E & F barristers themselves because they are liable, they know they are liable but know there is nothing the client can do about it 
Column  H  These are Heads of Chambers who have not   dealt with  the complaints  under their Chambers’ First Tier Complaints Procedure or have declined to do so.  I have not yet written to all Heads 
Column I      Where the barrister / person  is also a public official 
A BCDEFGHI
Baroness Ruth Deech         
Ms Maura McGowan 2 Bedford Row      
Mr Marc BeaumontWindsor and  9 Stone  
Edward Denehan9 Stone       
Mr Matthew Coats,      
Dr Ann Barker ,       
Mr Adrian Turner       
Mr Tim Treherne       
District Judge Harold Godwin       
His Honour Milwyn Jarman        
Mr Glyn Maddox,       
Mr Ed Vaisey MP      
Mr Roger Williams MP,        
Dame Julie Mellors OBE      
Mr Kenneth Clarke MP QC (liability for the judiciary )       
Mr Chris Grayling MP (liability for the judiciary)       
Mr Hodge Malek QC  39 Essex Street,        
Mr  Gregory Treverton Jones   39 Essex Street     
Mr Robert Jay39 Essex Street     
Mr Andrew Peebles Farrar’s Building      
Mr Timothy Dutton QC  Fountain Court      
Ms Patricia Robertson QC Fountain Court       
Stephen Moriarty QCFountain Court        
Mr Hugo Page QC Blackstone     
Mr Jonathan Harvie QC Blackstone      
Monica Carss-Frisk QC Blackstone        
Anthony Peto QC ,Blackstone        
Ian Mill  QCBlackstone        
Thomas Beasley QCBlackstone        
Mr Philip EngelmanCloisters    
Mr Andrew Hopper       
Mr Philip Newman42 Bedford Row   
Ms Anesta Weekes QC23 Essex Street  
Simon Russell Flint QC23 Essex Street      
Charles Miskin QC23 Essex Street      
 Dafydd Enoch QC23 Essex Street      
John Price QC23 Essex Street      
Sir John Chadwick QC   One Essex Court    
Sir Andrew MorrittOne Essex Court   
Dominic Grieve MP QC, Temple Garden   
Sir Geoffrey Nice QCTemple Garden         
Lexa Hilliard (QC).  3-4 South Square(11 Stone Buildings)     
Nigel Meares11 Stone Buildings    
Edward Cousins QC11 Stone Buildings     
Jeremy Cousins  QC11 Stone Buildings      
Alan Gourgey  QC11 Stone Buildings      
Marc Dight11 Stone Buildings (former)     
Tom Smith  3-4 South Square     
Michael Crystal QC3-4 South Square      
Christopher Brougham QC3-4 South Square      
Nicholas BardDevereux      
Stephen Leslie QC Lamb      
Ingrid SimlerDevereux      
Anthony Speaight QC4 Pump Court      
Jeremy Storey  QC4 Pump Court     
Nigel Tozzi QC4 Pump Court      
Rajiv HarnalThomas Miller       
Redvers Cunningham Thomas Miller       
Ahmed SalimThomas Miller       
David SimpsonThomas Miller       
Miranda LeveyThomas Miller       
Adrian MeeThomas Miller       
Justin Fenwick QCFour New Square     
Richard Anelay QC1 King’s Bench Walk      
Stephen Arthur9 Stone       
Michael Brindle QCFountain Court      
Gregory Denton-Cox4 Stone       
Colin Edelman QCDevereux       
Catherine Gibaud3 Verulam        
Alexandra Healy9-12 Bell Yard      
Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC-Four New Square      
David Railton QCFountain Court      
Colin Reese  QCAtkin       
Rajeev Shetty-9 Gough Square      
Sharif Shivji4 Stone       
Christopher Symons QC 3 Verulam      
David Wolfson QCOne Essex Court      

‘ Witness Testimony sworn in by Grazyna Mekarska ‘

Ref: Theft of Land and Goods’

Draft Order GM24

Mekarska v Brachers LLP, Minister of Justice and others in the High Court Of Justice Queens Bench Division.

Mr Mekarska witness statement in support of application:

1). For a judicial review in relation to the refusal or failure of The Met Police to act on a complaint made at South Harrow Police Station on the 10th March 2014.

2). For a judicial review – failure of a public authority (Out of hours) namely The Chancery Division Judge, Mr Justice Henderson — to consider a telephone application for urgent relief including an order enabling me to return to my home at 10pm on the 10th of March 2014.

Several applications were made to the judge who refused to consider any and all.

Mr Mekarska had in his bundle of evidence — ‘The Fraudulent Instrument (document) and recordings of an interview with Police Sergeant Gamblin, Interview taped conversations made at South Harrow Police Station plus the transcripts.

Witness statements GM21, GH22 and GM23.

‘Evicted from his property’  —- Judge Henderson responds only later saying he was only prepared to conduct a response through solicitors or barrister!

Mr Mekarska makes the following official request in application to QB — ‘ That the defendants in the case should be referred to the CPS and DPP for committing offences under The Fraud Act 2006, The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, s 135 of the County Court Act 1984, and the other complaints including a complaint that they have colluded with Police Officers at The Met Police in attempted Theft and Perverting the Course of Justice.

One could say this is ‘washing their dirty linen in public’ and looking at both cases, this certainly seems to be the case with one single theme LAND GRABBING, MONEY and THE LEGAL PROFESSION….. with CORRUPTION being claimed throughout by persons named and those un-named who have sought to help the incidents happen while claiming a legal right to do it.    If just a fraction of this mess is true then we certainly have a legal profession that deceives and conspires, and is not fit for purpose….. and British Justice has failed to be called ‘Honourable’

‘ Deloitte LLP and the HMRC Case that went wrong ‘

Strangely, we have another case which features one of the players in the above BAXENDALE AFFAIR….and a name to go with it…. LOUISE BRITTAIN of DELOITTE LLP…..involved in another tax case representing the elusive HMRC.   What is disturbing here is her conduct in this case, so we shall print those relevant sections that were quoted, when the HMRC tried to destroy a family, business and more with false evidence…..which incidentally took a second judge to rule it as insufficient and not supported….. the company was Abbey Forwarding of Woolwich in London, who were raided by 20 officers of the HMRC (see the full item in Unaccountable Civil Servants under the HMRC material).   Louise Brittain on behalf of the HMRC told the staff they were being ejected from the premises (she claims to be a tough fraud buster)…. she had been appointed ‘liquidator’ with immediate effect.   She even decided ‘on the evidence’ that she would sue the four directors for ‘ malfeasance’ but the new judge, Judge Lewison found the allegations to be false, and that she had ‘exaggerated’  the three occasions that HMRC had stopped the firm’s lorries to have been  exaggerated by a factor of a 100…..claiming in a statement it was 301 times!   There was no evidence Abbey had been in a fraud.  In July 2010 he said not a single item had been proved by HMRC or Louise Brittain……..In the eighteen months of misery caused to the company under Louise Brittain as liquidator…. nearly 32 people suffered.  The Judge told Louise Brittain and the HMRC there were no grounds for the ‘liquidation of the company’…..it was evident that the HMRC Lawyers had been utterly ruthless in pursuing this case despite the real lack of evidence.  In an unusual step, Louise Brittain stepped down from being the Liquidator?  Mr Hone and the Owen Brothers (Abbey Forwarding) are suing the HMRC and Liquidator (Louise Brittain of Deloitte LLP)……. which is set to be millions of pounds!

‘ Trainee Lawyer issues threats and faces dismissal ‘

An un-named Trainee Lawyer with the City firm of CLIFFORD CHANCE is reported as facing dismissal after his behaviour recorded by a journalist to CHERWELL who report stuff directly online about city incidents.  The Video is said to capture a law student  somewhat affected by drink who met the Cherwell Reporter and said  in his description of his work — the Legal Profession is ‘F***ing people over for money’…….Clifford Chance are said to be one of the big five in the City of London.  Later…. the student told the Cherwell Reporter (almost like the instant conditioning) ‘ I refuse my consent for this to go on the Internet and I will sue you if it does ‘….. his initiative here must be that he is getting £39,000 for his first year, and then £44,000 starting on his second year.  Clifford Chance said that such conduct is contrary to their policy and it could lead to dismissal… and that they were looking into it (22nd Nov 2013).

‘ Lawyer in £1 million stamp duty Scam ‘

SOLICITOR SHAMEER SACRANIE was given a jail sentence of ten years for fraud when his case was heard at Nottingham Crown Court.  The sad thing is that he fled the country before actually going to prison.  He was arrested after HMRC Investigators discovered that he had altered official records to reduce the amount of stamp duty due on 139 properties before charging clients the full amount.  Sacranie set up his firm called SFS LEGAL SOLICITORS in Leicester.  The fraud was only discovered after he’d got away with a significant sum of money.

‘ Profession at saturation point….as money still pulls them in ‘

A new Report shows that ‘The Lawyers Pool’ is at bursting point, and taking on new pupils and trainees is becoming difficult.  It says the Barrister intake is beginning to show the strain more than anywhere else, and that around 1,500 students in law are competing for just 450 pupillages that are available each year. It says that many new barristers are finding it almost impossible to make a living at the junior end of the profession, particularly in criminal law.  One factor blamed is the cuts in legal aid, and falling crime figures?   Sadly for them, this won’t be appreciated by the general public who always come off worst….they know that lawyers follow the money trail and what with ‘ambulance-chasers’ and ‘PPI claims’ one is not likely to ever see a ‘poor lawyer’

Despite their predicament, THE LAW SCHOOL at Bristol University continues its adverts offering postgraduate study degree courses……so the situation is obviously being tolerated and to some point encouraged!

‘The Lawyers and the Peasants ‘

According to retired solicitor J.  Brown, the legal system see clients more or less as peasants, unless they are rich, which means they have to play the game more carefully and weigh up how to get as much cash as possible.  The poor are a pain, says Mr Brown and  its a game in law  to see if they can offload them onto someone else.  Luckily for the higher paid lawyers, the Ministry of Justice in league with the government have kicked the poor as hard as they can and virtually forced them out of the system altogether.  They introduced measures that is hampering poor people from obtaining their legal rights, and enabling big companies to feel safe from the mere peasant.  But more sinister is the relationship between the government and the legal profession.  When the government snap their fingers or feel threatened they send messages out through the SRA, Law Society, The Chancellor’s Department and the Justice Minister’s Office to take measures and put down the offending lawyer or firm that dares to challenge them.  Mr Brown tells us that until he retired, he couldn’t tell of how they tried to destroy him.   Even so-called colleagues were turned and wouldn’t come near as other lawyers in ‘the dirty fix programme’ used the law in such a way as it could be described as ‘corrupt’ but not to the Profession.  He says he quickly knew how the peasants could be hit hard, and as his business began to ‘sink’ he saw that it was time to get out or go broke.  ‘They have many ways of hurting you, all of it semi-legal, and if it doesn’t get you in the first attack, they employ others to fix things and make suggestions that your practice ought to be investigated….with no solid reason, just innuendo and a word in the right ear.  ‘There are many more victims out there who won’t speak, for fear of not being able to get their certificate should they fall on hard times and fancy a bit of legal work….because they know someone will have marked their card, and when they apply they find it turned down….and the reason being mostly fictitious and absurd.’

‘ Lawyers pay to undermine MMR Vaccine ‘

On this site its not about the numbers, it is showing you similar patterns of deceit and dirty tricks practised regularly by solicitors and barristers throughout the land……In this case it shows how lawyers will play a game to alter the true course of something…. and in this case the fixing of an outcome concerning a law suit.

Journalist Brian Deer exposed the matter of Dr Andrew Wakefield’s shady research and dealings, in the fact that he was paid by lawyers to undermine a report….. £400,000 was paid to ‘prove’ the vaccine unsafe.  The Sunday Times caught onto the story and unearthed facts which showed this payment was part of a £3.4 million legal aid fund to Doctors.  A request was made via the Freedom of Information Act, and this revealed he had been paid £435,643 plus £3,910 in expenses. 

The Lancet retracted Wakefield’s claim and apologised when it was shown that his research had been backed with £55,000 from Lawyers, and that the children in the study used as evidence against the vaccine were actually claimants in the lawsuit!

It was claimed that this was a clear case of ‘A conflict of Interests’ and they apparently got away with it.

‘ Law Student gets the Secret Trial treatment ‘

FOUND GUILTY OF TERRORIST CHARGES, EROL INCEDAL a Law Student was neatly and stealthily taken to a ‘Secret Trial’ where he was found guilty of possessing bomb-making equipment, said to be useful to a terrorist. This would not have been known, and was intentionally to be kept secret by MI5 and the Security Agencies who have Carte Blanche powers to subvert or invent situations no-one can challenge, aided and abetted by the Government of the UK.  Luckily, this item ended up at The Old Bailey Court where the jury was discharged having failed to reach a majority verdict.  It says there is going to be a retrial in February 2015.  Luckily one Judge, Mr Justice Nicol who lifted reporting restrictions is in favour of proper justice seen to be done.

‘ Trainee Lawyer in rant on YouTube ‘

A TRAINEE SOLICITOR WITH CLIFFORD CHANCE, Aysh Chaudry released a video on YouTube that didn’t really please the upmarket law firm.   They declined to say if he would keep his job with the firm but did say they didn’t share his views.  The video was eventually pulled after 700 views.  In the video he was blaming the Paris terror incident on non Muslims which lasted 21 minutes.  He said he released the video to encourage debate.

‘ Law Student in horrific attack is spared jail time ‘

FEMALE TRAINEE SOLICITOR Sarah McKenzie appeared before Manchester Crown Court on charges of causing grievous bodily harm to a man when he wouldn’t move away from ‘her space’     It says she is studying law in Leeds and grinned gleefully after hearing the Judge’s verdict.  She apparently hit the man in the face with a champagne bottle twice causing him serious facial injury.  It should be known that McKenzie was stopped from leaving the premises as she made her way out and a photo was taken of her before she could.  She was later arrested by police.  She was given a suspended 16 month jail term and 150 hours of unpaid community work!

‘Lawyer  fakes work in £6million dispute for 3 years ‘

LAWYER ANDREW BENSON shocked and upset colleagues at his Law Firm BYRNE AND PARTNERS in the City. The case he was working on was with a client who traded in diamonds, and all seemed well.  Apparently he had secured the services of a top barrister for the case, and as per usual letters were flying to and fro.  The report says that for three years between 2010 and 2013 it went on unabated.  It came as a shock to the client Rajesh Kishor Mehta that every document released from Mr Benson and entered into court relating to the lawsuit was entirely fake…..and part of a ‘breathtaking deception’  Things went so wrong that the client had faced arrest for contempt of court.  The skilful  solicitor even corresponded with the former DPP and had conference calls with a QC and a senior colleague during this three year case.  It appears that lawyer Benson is under investigation by the Met Police and The Solicitors Regulation Authority after being dismissed from Byrne and Partners.

‘ Barrister and MP cleans up on the financial situation ‘

LAWYER GEOFFREY COX could be said  looks for the best money deal that does well for him…..at the same time as Parliamentary boffins say that his attendance in Parliament is below the average compared to most MP’s…..he was in his other role as BARRISTER earning £450,000 working more than a thousand hours in law during thirteen months.  His MP pay is around £67,000 plus expenses, which is additional to his legal earnings.  It is stated that he represents Torridge and West Devon…….money, money, money……the lawyers language of love!

‘Investigated Firm hires lawyers to prevent film on the BBC ‘

CONNECT LONDON a so-called employment firm that was breaking employment legislation did not like the filmed report showing them stoop to tricks with jobless people being shown on the WATCHDOG programme.  They claimed in the programme that they were able to get employment and jobs, but only if the jobseekers paid for a course they ran.  Anyone asking to apply for the job without enrolling on their course were in effect barred from any further contact with Connect.  The company were actually selling courses, and breaking the law.  On hearing they were going to be shown as rogue traders….they hired lawyers to lean on the BBC and hopefully prevent the broadcast.   So as you can see, lawyers never deal in morality, it doesn’t pay…they just use the law to get the result they want and need for the client no matter how badly a client turns out to be.

‘ The ‘Insufficient Evidence Scam’ ‘

One hears so much about this when it comes to police investigating police and prominent wealthy clients in the accusation stage before the CPS suddenly says it has dropped the case.  The Law and particularly lawyers rely on this phrase to have profile cases aborted, withdrawn; especially embarrassing ones they don’t want heard in court.  The Government use this to their advantage too in many ways like ‘dodgy’ politicians etc,…. they never reach court despite claims at the beginning that there is enough to go on, and suddenly its gone, and the law backtracks immediately by claiming procedures and technicalities, too complicated for the general public to understand.   So let us go to the Police and Lawyers, the answer lies there…. and its called self interests and protecting the establishment.  In the main they see the public as ignorant and easy to manipulate, and have done so for many years.

‘ Legal Aid cuts will harm the small business ‘

A report says that people starting businesses and those already having a small business will be hit hard by the cuts the Justice Minister says are in the pipeline in order to cut the legal aid bill.  Insolvency experts are opposed to the proposals to cut off legal aid available for firms involved in insolvency litigation.  They are calling the measures ‘anti-business’ and give rise to more tax avoidance and evasion, benefitting directors who have committed fraud and behaved recklessly.

‘ Lawyers twist the law to threaten critics ‘

Not an unsurprising turn of events really, not to us, Lawyers are only showing their true nature which will ‘out’ when they are cornered or get annoyed.  A news article accuses them of abusing their legal standing by threatening defamation action against members of the public who post negative reviews and comments about their service.  You will find solicitors and lawyers regularly resorting to defamation claims when they don’t like what is being said, they even base defamation on words so trite in order to bully.  As the article says, while other lesser mortals have to tolerate criticism on forums, lawyers or ‘thin-skinned lawyers’ are sending out their legal ‘intimidatory’ letters intending to scare off previous clients and members of the public that think something is not right about a lawyer or firm of lawyers.  It says that these bullying law firms have been exposed by Dr Michelle Goddard, a lawyer herself who works with the consumer panel of The Legal Services Board which is responsible for regulating the Legal Profession for England and Wales.  She says they have recently taken to being angered by web sites that invite comments of poor advice given by solicitors. 

NB.. We know ourselves that when it was proposed that a list of bad lawyers was to be put out in the public domain by the profession, it was attacked and never appeared.  It’s a wonder they haven’t had the ‘Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’ reports blanked or removed, as its probably the only way of the public being able to visit a site and see what ‘naughties’ these lawyers are up to, both criminal and procedure wise, and thankfully there’s a lot there that one can see in its entirety…straight from the tribunal court papers.

What should come across clearly by now is — Lawyers regularly lie, deceive and act dishonestly.

No doubt friends of lawyers, lawyers and the law society will disagree with all that has been featured, but they would — it’s obvious.  They cannot see themselves and believe they are clean — they are not, and that goes for a great deal of them.  We have already shown their greed, the corruption and how they deny it all, what does it take to show you they are indeed — CORRUPT?

SPECIAL NOTICE — What you see here, is but a fifth of what there actually is. We have contributors/agents in Bristol, Glasgow, Hampshire and Bedfordshire, which leaves many areas, towns and villages out of our radar and reach — so we do not see all press reports or incidents they publish — even though we do try to access information via other means from all other areas.

WE HAVE UPDATED THIS SITE AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL YOU ARE CONVINCED EVEN IF IT TAKES US PUTTING A 1000 LAWYERS NAMES HERE, AND THERE WILL BE MORE AT THE NEXT UPDATE, BUT IF YOU WANT MORE ON THE LAW — GO TO ‘Not Quite Legal’ AND ‘A  Rotten Judiciary’ FOR MORE ON THIS GREEDY AND CORRUPT PROFESSION.

DON’T FORGET TO GO TO OUR NEW ‘THE LAWYERS DISCIPLINARY LIST’ TO SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

MORE TO COME:
Original source here… http://bentlawyersandcops.com/