Last week, the trial of a law graduate charged with fraud for attempting to pass himself off as a barrister began at Peterborough Crown Court.
Marious Pimm, who graduated with a 2.2 in law from Lincoln University in 2006 and then registered as a student member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, is accused of taking more than £5,000 from two people after allegedly claiming to be both a barrister and solicitor.
There have been some juicy allegations…
Michael Magee, prosecuting, told the court that Pimm used ‘The Boat’ pub in Whittlesey as an office to promote his legal wares. There, Pimm “spoke freely to everyone, saying he was a solicitor, and touted for work,” he said.
According to Magee, this was how a man who was having problems with his plumbing business ended up paying two cheques worth a combined £4,000 into Pimm’s bank account.
Magee also said that in 2008 Pimm agreed to act as a barrister for a woman who was helping her sister to get a divorce.
He added that Pimm told the woman – who claims to have paid £1,343 for two jobs – that he was both a solicitor and a barrister, going so far as to quip that the wig he wore in court was “itchy”.
Magee continued: “Pimm even told his partner he was a solicitor, lying in both his professional and private life. He said he was a barrister, deliberately mis-reporting his qualifications to get work and money.”
Pimm, 42, denies three counts of fraud and one of wilfully pretending to be a barrister. If he were to be found guilty, the consequences could be severe. In March, David Evans was sentenced to 18 months in jail for impersonating a qualified barrister.