Kathryn Hazlehurst

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

Kathryn Hazlehurst, a solicitor in the family team at Oldham MBC, over an 18-month period provided false and misleading information to colleagues that she had issued an application to discharge an interim care order for child A, including fabricating court hearing dates, and later entered false details (issue date, hearing date and a fictitious court case number) into a case list spreadsheet. In fact she had never made the application. She admitted all allegations including dishonesty. The Tribunal, dealing with the matter on the papers via an agreed outcome, found the admissions properly made, that no exceptional circumstances existed, and ordered her to be struck off the Roll and to pay costs of £2,780.

Duties found breached:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Repeated dishonest conduct over some 18 months
• Deliberate, calculated and repeated misconduct
• Knew or ought to have known it breached obligations to protect the public and reputation of the profession
• Breach of trust placed in her by the employer
• Experienced solicitor (approx 8 years PQE)

Mitigating factors:

• Clean disciplinary record
• Admitted conduct to Oldham MBC and the SRA
• Cooperation with the Applicant
• Poor health including vasculitis, IgA nephropathy, kidney condition and diabetes
• Large caseload of 23 cases
• Emotional breakdown while handling complex safeguarding cases during lockdown
• Close family member diagnosed with significant illness