Jane Margaret Helen Henry

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

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard five allegations against Jane Margaret Helen Henry, a consultant solicitor. The Tribunal, proceeding in her absence (having rejected her heavily-qualified admissions and requiring proof to the criminal standard), found four allegations proved: failure to carry out identity/AML checks facilitating a mortgage fraud; creating and signing a false letter of authority forging her clients' signatures; accepting a police caution for a Forgery and Counterfeiting Act offence; and permitting client account to be used without underlying legal transactions. Dishonesty was expressly found proved in respect of allegations 1.2 and 1.3 (the forged letter and the caution) applying the Twinsectra test. Allegation 1.4 (non-cooperation with the SRA) was not proved, given the parallel police investigation. The Tribunal found no exceptional circumstances and struck her off the Roll, ordering costs of £23,500 (reduced from the £32,676.58 claimed), with an immediately enforceable order.

Duties found breached:

• No conflict between current clients
• Handle inadvertently received material
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Dishonesty proved
• Criminal offence (police caution) admitted
• Misconduct was deliberate, planned and calculated
• Conduct aimed at concealment/creation of false document
• Breach of position of trust towards the firm
• Experienced senior solicitor
• Attempted to blame others and showed no insight

Mitigating factors:

• Never denied the underlying facts
• Act of dishonesty was discrete and of brief duration
• Personal stress from concurrent Chancery litigation involving her partner
• She herself was deceived by the fraudster clients