Paul Ashley Henry

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

Paul Ashley Henry, a sole practitioner solicitor, was found to have committed all six allegations, including two involving express findings of dishonesty. Over a sustained period he deliberately overcharged numerous clients (including Mrs FJ, Mrs BD, Mr and Mrs T, Mr PB and Miss KM, and Mr S) with overcharges up to several thousand percent, transferred client funds (including SDLT, Land Registry fees, retentions and settlement monies) to his office account to prop up his overdraft and fund payments for his own benefit, failed to deliver genuine bills, failed to keep proper accounts, failed to rectify breaches promptly, and failed to give costs information. The Tribunal applied the Twinsectra test and found dishonesty proved beyond reasonable doubt. It rejected that his mental health negated culpability and struck him off the Roll, ordering costs of £60,000 not to be enforced without leave given his financial circumstances.

Duties found breached:

• Not mislead the court
• No conflict between current clients
• No improper use of client money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Report serious misconduct of others

Aggravating factors:

• Systematic and prolonged course of dishonest conduct
• Gross overcharging of multiple clients (overcharges ranging up to 1,195% and 4,445% on some matters)
• Removal of client monies to prop up his office account overdraft and make payments for his own benefit and to his wife
• Concealment through altered emails and undelivered/non-genuine bills lacking proper VAT numbers
• Failure to account to vulnerable clients who repeatedly sought their money
• Pattern of behaviour across numerous client matters

Mitigating factors:

• Suffered from depression and mental health difficulties (per psychiatric report)
• Subject to various stressful life factors and the economic downturn
• No previous disciplinary appearances
• Recently discharged from bankruptcy, on benefits, with a young child