Dmytro Torkoniak

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

The Respondent, admitted in 1992, was convicted at Lincoln Crown Court on 13 November 2003 of multiple counts of theft, obtaining property by deception, false accounting, making a false instrument and perjury, and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. He had stolen over £300,000 from clients, including vulnerable and injured people. The Tribunal refused his adjournment request (no confirmed appeal against conviction), found the allegation of conduct unbefitting a solicitor substantiated, and ordered that he be struck off the Roll and pay the costs of the application.

Duties found breached:

• Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience

Aggravating factors:

• Theft of client monies totalling over £300,000
• Abuse of position of trust as a solicitor to enrich himself
• Deceived vulnerable, injured and disadvantaged clients, including some with little or no English
• Stole from estates of the dead including his own godfather
• Stole £75,000 from a severely injured and mentally disturbed client (SB)
• Made false entries in books, misled clients, dictated fictitious letters/file notes and lied on oath to cover up thefts