Julie Burns

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

The respondent, a clerk (in fact a member of the Bar, not a solicitor) employed as a locum with French & Co between February 1989 and August 1990, was convicted on 6 April 1992 on her own confession of six counts of obtaining property by deception and sentenced to two years imprisonment. She had intercepted applications for registration of three properties and improperly re-charged/re-mortgaged them, and also obtained money from friends by deception. The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated and made a Section 43(2) order controlling her future employment in solicitors' practices. Due to considerable delay by the Bureau in progressing the matter, the applicant did not seek the usual costs order.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No taking unfair advantage
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Abuse of position while working in a firm of solicitors
• Multiple counts of deception involving several properties and lending institutions
• Attempted to re-mortgage a further property (prevented)