Mark Reginald Stuart Hodge

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

The Respondent, a solicitor admitted in 1991, was convicted on 22 June 2015 at Birmingham Crown Court of two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of sexual assault by penetration, and sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, a DBS barring list, and a restraining order. The offences involved sexually assaulting and raping an intoxicated vulnerable 18-year-old (Person A) in her own home after her birthday celebration. The SRA alleged breaches of Principles 2 and 6 of the SRA Principles 2011 by virtue of the convictions, which the Respondent admitted. The matter was dealt with on the papers via an agreed outcome. The Tribunal found culpability and harm at the highest level, rejected all mitigation advanced, and found no dishonesty was expressly alleged or found. It ordered that the Respondent be struck off the Roll and pay costs of £2,000.

Duties found breached:

• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank

Aggravating factors:

• Sexually motivated conduct for personal gratification
• Victim (Person A) known to the Respondent - flagrant breach of trust
• Assaults occurred after socialising to celebrate victim's 18th birthday
• Victim and Person B were intoxicated
• Victim was vulnerable and unable to defend herself
• Person B unable to defend the victim
• Conduct deliberate, planned and repeated (five sexual violations in one evening)
• Attempted to cover tracks by sending text messages to minimise misconduct
• Convicted of five sexual offences, two of the most serious (rape)
• Forced victim through trauma of Crown Court trial and blamed her