Victoria Emma Craig

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

Victoria Emma Craig, sole director of Craig & Co Law Ltd (intervened 10 April 2015), was found to have committed eight allegations. After her practising certificate was suspended on 10 April 2015, she continued to practise as an assistant solicitor at Optimum Law Solicitors until her summary dismissal on 24 July 2015. When her employer asked on 28 May 2015 whether she was subject to any sanctions or restrictions, she failed to disclose that she held no practising certificate, giving a misleading answer to preserve her employment. The Tribunal found this dishonest applying the Twinsectra test. She also failed to keep proper accounting records, retained a mixed payment of £5,855 from Allianz in office account, failed to produce documents to the SRA, failed to respond to SRA communications and a Section 44B notice. The Respondent did not attend. The Tribunal ordered her struck off the Roll and to pay costs of £9,500.

Duties found breached:

• Proper termination and return of instructions
• Handle inadvertently received material
• Segregate client money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Hold a current practising certificate
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report
• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• Proven dishonesty which was deliberate, calculated and continued over a period of time
• Motivated by personal financial gain (desire to retain employment)
• Placed own interests above those of employer and clients
• Knew conduct breached obligation to protect public and reputation of profession

Mitigating factors:

• Previously unblemished career