Rebecca
Bradley
Employee
657084
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Approval of employment (section 43)
Outcome date: 3 October 2019
Published date: 6 November 2019
Firm details
No detail provided:
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Section 43
Written rebuke and ordered to pay costs
Reasons/basis
Rebecca Bradley, who is not a solicitor, was employed as a probate executive for Lodders Solicitors LLP at the firm’s office at 10 Elm Court, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6PA between October 2013 until September 2018 when she resigned.
During her employment, Ms Bradley took £19,043.51 from the client account for her own benefit. She was convicted of Theft at Birmingham Crown Court on 26 April 2019. She was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months and ordered to undertake 200 hours unpaid supervised work.
Ms Bradley was found to have breached Principles 2 and 6 of the SRA Principles 2011.
Ms Bradley was made subject to an order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974. She was also given a written rebuke and ordered to pay costs of £600.
Ms Bradley’s current working arrangements are unknown.
ORDER FOR PUBLICATION
In the matter of:
Rebecca Bradley, a person who is or was involved in legal practice but is not a solicitor, is now subject to section 43 Solicitors Act 1974.
The Facts:
Rebecca Bradley, who is not a solicitor, was employed as a probate executive for Lodders Solicitors LLP at the firm’s office at 10 Elm Court, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6PA between October 2013 until September 2018 when she resigned.
During her employment, Ms Bradley took £19,043.51 from the client account for her own benefit. She was convicted of Theft at Birmingham Crown Court on 26 April 2019. She was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months and ordered to undertake 200 hours unpaid supervised work.
Ms Bradley was found to have breached Principles 2 and 6 of the SRA Principles 2011.
FINDING
I find that Rebecca Bradley is or was involved in a legal practice (as defined by section 43 (1A) of the Solicitors Act 1974) but is not a solicitor and has occasioned or been a party to, with or without the connivance of a solicitor, an act or default in relation to a legal practice which involved conduct on her part of such a nature that in the opinion of the Society it would be undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways set out in the order below.
ORDER
To make a section 43 order that with immediate effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Rebecca Bradley of this decision:
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor’s practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body
except in accordance with a Society permission.