Danielle De Carpentier

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

The Respondent, a solicitor at Clayton Mott, misappropriated £7,850 from a vulnerable client's bank account through 39 ATM withdrawals over four years while acting under a Lasting Power of Attorney. She was convicted of fraud by abuse of position and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. She admitted the allegation and dishonesty. On an agreed outcome dealt with on the papers, the Tribunal found no exceptional circumstances and ordered she be struck off the Roll, with no order for costs given her means.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• Act in the client's best interests
• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Criminal conviction for fraud by abuse of position
• Dishonesty sustained over an extended period (Aug 2015-Jun 2019)
• Gross breach of trust involving a vulnerable victim
• Conduct benefitted the Respondent to detriment of client
• Denials during police interviews and to SRA, attempting to divert attention onto others
• Sentenced to 18 months imprisonment

Mitigating factors:

• Expressed shame and remorse; sincere apology
• Repaid the money in full
• Attempted to resign from the Roll some years earlier
• Served her sentence
• Suffered severe psychiatric problems, dyslexia and mental health difficulties; diagnosed unfit for work
• Late guilty plea