Margaret Ugo Nwojo

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

The Respondent, a salaried partner then sole practitioner, was convicted at Lewes Crown Court on her guilty plea to 13 counts of theft, forgery and deception, having diverted firm cheques to herself and committed false accounting amid a dispute over her salary/benefits. Total loss to the firm was £6,297.29; she received a 200-hour Community Punishment Order and a £1,017 costs order, with a £48,000 confiscation settlement and a £130,000 civil settlement. The Tribunal found she engaged in a planned course of dishonesty and, citing Bolton v The Law Society, struck her off the Roll and ordered her to pay costs of £3,177.79.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations

Aggravating factors:

• Planned course of dishonesty
• As a solicitor she knew the proper means to resolve the dispute but did not use them
• Misrepresented her income (£95,000 vs actual £37,850) to a mortgage company

Mitigating factors:

• Self-reported the matter to the Law Society
• Numerous favourable references from clients and others
• Genuine underlying contractual grievance/dispute with employer (owed £8,000 in benefits)
• Exceeded minimum required community service hours
• Practised without complaint since 2002
• Out of character conduct