Donna Roberts

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Donna Roberts, an unqualified clerk in the Debt Recovery Department at Hill Dickinson, was found to have drawn petty cash purportedly for Court fees where none were due or fees had already been paid, with 255 unexplained withdrawals totalling £28,170 over 1997-2002, and in some cases billed clients for the cash. She was dismissed for gross misconduct in 2002 and voluntarily repaid £20,000 to the firm while denying wrongdoing. The Tribunal, applying the high standard of proof and noting her denials, could NOT make a finding of dishonesty, but found her conduct and refusal to explain warranted a Section 43 Order regulating any future employment in the law. She was ordered to pay costs of £2,110.

Duties found breached:

• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Course of conduct over a period of years (255 occasions, 1997-2002)
• Substantial sums totalling £28,170 unaccounted for
• Clients improperly charged (£10,295) and required reimbursement
• Refused to provide a proper explanation

Mitigating factors:

• Voluntarily repaid £20,000 to the firm
• No police prosecution pursued
• In receipt of incapacity benefit / limited means
• Accepted the making of the Order