Decision record
Paul Simon Green
Allegation / charges
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2007, Dishonesty, SRA Principles 2011
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Paul Simon Green, a solicitor admitted in 2008, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court on 23 May 2024 of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and converting criminal property, and sentenced to 26 months imprisonment. He had obtained a residential mortgage from Santander by falsely representing he would be sole owner and payer, when his brother James Green (a drug dealer) contributed to the purchase and mortgage payments using proceeds of crime. The Tribunal, dealing with the matter on the papers via an agreed outcome, found his conduct dishonest and an aggravating feature, and determined the case did not fall within the small residual category where strike-off would be disproportionate. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.
Duties found breached:
- Proper basis for allegations
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No conflict between current clients
Aggravating factors:
- Dishonesty alleged and proved
- Misconduct involving commission of a criminal offence
- Deliberate and calculated conduct
- Misconduct continued over a period of time
- Respondent knew or ought to have known conduct breached obligations to protect the public and reputation of the profession
Mitigating factors:
- Admitted all allegations
- Respondent advanced no points of mitigation and did not contend exceptional circumstances existed
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Overriding duty to the court
- Proper basis for allegations
- Honesty
- No bribery or improper gifts
- Personal probity and fitness to practise
- Uphold public trust in the profession
- No unlawful discrimination or harassment
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No conflict between current clients
- AML and crime-prevention compliance
- Serve justice and improve the law