Dmytro Torkoniak

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

The Respondent, admitted 1992, was convicted at Lincoln Crown Court on 13 November 2003 of multiple counts of theft, obtaining property by deception, false accounting, making a false instrument and perjury, and sentenced to 8 years' imprisonment for stealing over £300,000 from vulnerable clients, including misappropriating compensation funds. The Tribunal refused the Respondent's adjournment request (based on an alleged but unconfirmed appeal/new evidence), found the allegation substantiated, found his conduct involved dishonesty including dishonesty with client monies, and ordered that he be struck off the Roll and pay costs (to be assessed if not agreed).

Duties found breached:

• Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience

Aggravating factors:

• Theft from vulnerable clients including injured, disadvantaged and non-English-speaking persons
• Theft from estates of the dead, including his own Godfather
• Stole at least £75,000 from a severely injured client (SB)
• Abuse of position of trust as a solicitor
• Dishonesty over nearly three years netting over £300,000
• Covered up dishonesty by lying on oath, removing index cards, files and cheque book stubs, making false entries and fictitious letters/file notes