SDT strikes off solicitor Julie Wafter forgery and theft convictions at Woolwich Crown Court
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has struck off solicitor Julie Weekes after she was convicted of multiple counts of forgery and theft. Weekes, admitted to the roll in December 2004, received a suspended prison sentence in 2012 for falsifying probate documents and stealing from her firm.
At the time of the offences, Weekes was employed by Stevens & Sons LLP. She had trained with the firm, qualified in November 2004, and by December 2007 had been promoted to salaried partner. During her time in the probate department, she forged legal documents, including Letters of Administration and a Grant of Probate, to conceal failures in her casework.
In November 2011, Weekes pleaded guilty at Bexley Magistrates’ Court to seven counts of forgery and one of theft. She was committed to Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing. On 16 March 2012, she was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and serve a year of supervision.
The SDT, sitting in May 2013, found that by virtue of her convictions Weekes had breached Principles 1, 2 and 6 of the SRA Code of Conduct 2011. These require solicitors to uphold the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, act with integrity, and maintain public trust in the profession.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), counsel Andrew Bullock submitted that dishonesty of the type demonstrated by Weekes normally warranted the ultimate sanction of striking off, citing the leading case of Bolton v Law Society. He noted that Weekes’s conviction for offences of dishonesty, including multiple forgeries and theft, left no room for confidence in her fitness to remain in the profession.
In mitigation, Weekes’s representative David Barton told the tribunal that she had admitted the charges at the earliest opportunity, co-operated fully with the investigation, and accepted the consequences of her conduct. Barton said she had suffered from psychological difficulties, supported by a psychiatric report considered by the Crown Court judge at sentencing. The report described her as overwhelmed by workload pressures and unable to admit she was struggling.
Judge Sullivan, in his sentencing remarks, acknowledged the psychiatric evidence and accepted that Weekes had not gained financially from her misconduct. He concluded, however, that the offences were serious and warranted a custodial sentence, albeit suspended in light of mitigation.
The tribunal also considered a letter from the Blackthorn Trust, which supported Weekes in her recovery and confirmed she was embarking on a new direction in life. Barton told the tribunal that she had no intention of ever returning to legal practice and wished to leave the profession with dignity.
The SDT noted Weekes’s remorse and insight, and expressed sympathy for the length of time the proceedings had taken. Nevertheless, it found that the seriousness of the misconduct, rooted in dishonesty, meant striking off was unavoidable. The tribunal said there were no exceptional circumstances to justify any lesser sanction.
In its ruling, the SDT reiterated the importance of integrity in the legal profession. It ordered that Weekes be struck off the roll of solicitors. She was also directed to pay agreed costs of £1,805.63.
The decision brought an end to Weekes’s career, less than a decade after she qualified. The tribunal concluded that while her personal difficulties explained some of the context, they could not outweigh the need to protect the public and preserve trust in the profession.