Susan Barry Davies

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

Susan Barry Davies, a former solicitor, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October 2001 of one count of conspiracy to defraud relating to a 1993 advance fee fraud in which £425,000 transferred to her bank account on an undertaking to hold pending loan documentation was used by her and a co-conspirator for their own purposes; she was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and made subject to an £89,058 confiscation order. The Tribunal found the allegation substantiated (admitted) and held it was difficult to conceive of more serious misconduct than conspiring to defraud a client. As she was already off the Roll, the Tribunal ordered she not be restored to the Roll except by Tribunal order, and to pay costs of £2,221.62.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations

Aggravating factors:

• Conspiracy to defraud a client of £425,000
• Gross breach of trust per sentencing judge
• Three-year custodial sentence and £89,058 confiscation order
• Conduct breached every fundamental principle of the profession

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the allegation
• Stated she had no intention of ever applying for restoration to the Roll
• In poor health and financial hardship/bankruptcy