Crystal Westcott

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

A solicitor's clerk was convicted at Lincoln Crown Court on 25 May 1994 of six counts of obtaining property by deception and sentenced to six months imprisonment for fraudulently claiming supplementary benefit (~£11,500) while working through a secretarial agency. The Tribunal found the allegation substantiated and that she had adopted a dishonest course of action. It made a Section 43(2) order controlling her employment by solicitors, suspending filing for two months so her current employer could seek Law Society permission to continue employing her. She was ordered to pay costs of £724.36.

Aggravating factors:

• Fraud carried out over a period of approximately two to three years
• Criminal conviction with custodial sentence

Mitigating factors:

• Aged thirty-one with a cancer diagnosis requiring treatment including surgery, limiting her ability to accept work
• Acted under financial pressure (mortgage and car loan repayments) and depression about her health
• Ceased claiming benefit on gaining full-time employment
• Described by former and current employers as exceptionally diligent, hardworking and conscientious
• Completely honest regarding the events leading to the hearing
• Did not contest the allegation