By Ashley Young-
A jailed solicitor who defrauded his firm of £13,000 shamed his profession, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
The regulator for solicitors in England and Wales told The Eye Of Media.Com that the solicitor, whose certificate like many other, expired on October 31st, 2018 had shamed his profession. An SRA spokesperson said they were exploring all avenues of disciplinary action against the disgraced legal practitioner.
”A legal process of due diligence is underway and we will decide precisely what action to take against mr.Davies in respect to his association with the profession in due course. There are many avenues open to the SRA, including striking him off the register, fining him, or both”. They regulator said they had not found it necessary to examine how Catherine and Higgins firm had handled his case
Higgins was eventually caught when Ms Higgins noticed the client had been asked to pay money into a HSBC account, when her firm didn’t bank with them. The solicitor, even in his fraudulent act, was not smart enough to make the payment arrangements privately.
A subsequent inquiry discovered that the file related to Davies’ parents and he had been giving out the wrong account details. Davies was eventually suspended pending an investigation, and told not to contact any employees or clients, or use the company’s IT facilities. He sent a resignation email trying to explain his behaviour, but when his cases were examined, “ghost files” were discovered, directing clients to pay money into his HSBC account.
In a victim impact statement, Davies’ employer Catherine Higgins said she placed her trust in him and expected high standards and integrity.
‘I came to regard Greg as a long-term prospect and hopefully my successor to enable me to eventually retire,’ said Higgins. ‘We would talk and make plans for the future of the business and at no time did I suspect that he was committing fraud at the expense of the firm and our clients. When Greg’s criminal behaviour was uncovered I felt numb and sick. When it became clear that Greg had stolen from the firm, the feeling of betrayal was indescribable.’
DIVERSION OF FUNDS
Mr Davies diverted money from people’s estates to his own bank account and on one occasion took £540 from the estate of a deceased woman which he disguised as being a payment for funeral costs.Davies finished his training in 2012 and became a “valued and trusted member of staff”, eventually taking up the role of director. The court heard that Ms Higgins had a disagreement with him in 2016 over a bonus, but was unaware of any fraud.
In a victim impact statement, the firm’s managing director, Catherine Higgins, said: “I placed my trust in Greg. I expected him to have the high standards and integrity I would expect from any solicitor. I came to regard Greg as a long-term prospect and hopefully my successor to enable me to eventually retire.
“We would talk and make plans for the future of the business and at no time did I suspect that he was committing fraud at the expense of the firm and our clients.
“When Greg’s criminal behaviour was uncovered I felt numb and sick. When it became clear that Greg had stolen from the firm, the feeling of betrayal was indescribable.”
Speaking after the sentencing Ms Higgins said: “I am pleased that these proceedings are now concluded. It has been a difficult time for me and my firm and I would like to thank everyone involved for their tenacity and patience.
“It is disappointing when a member of the legal profession falls below the standard required but I can assure my clients that in each case where a loss was identified, my firm has repaid that loss to the clients.
“When his actions were uncovered by his colleagues, only then was the full extent revealed. I immediately reported the matter to Action Fraud and the Solicitors Regulation Authority.”
She added: ‘It is disappointing when a member of the legal profession falls below the standard required but I can assure my clients that in each case where a loss was identified, my firm has repaid that loss to the clients.’