Doreen June Sayburn

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

Doreen June Sayburn, a solicitor's clerk employed by Peter J Wilson & Co, was found to have misappropriated clients' money, causing a cash shortage of £3,545.30 by taking cash from clients and not recording it. She was dismissed in July 1995 and later convicted at Crown Court, receiving a nine-month prison sentence. She admitted the facts but did not appear. The Tribunal made a section 43(2) order restricting her employment within the solicitors' profession without Law Society permission, and ordered her to pay £2,626 costs. No express finding of dishonesty was recorded in the Tribunal's findings.

Duties found breached:

• Professional independence
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Criminal conviction: pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court, sentenced to nine months imprisonment
• 41 of 63 further offences taken into consideration, total value of offences £13,958.11 plus £1,401.50 on the indictment
• Abuse of long-standing position of trust