Rookie City lawyer had been advised that no one would find out, but she (eventually) told the truth — and now her legal career is over
In June 2012 Anna-Louise Butcher was caught stealing a pair of Prada sunglasses worth £154 from the duty-free department of Stansted Airport. Butcher was cautioned for the offence in the early hours of June 6.
The next day she contacted the professional ethics helpline for solicitors.
According to Butcher, she was advised that:
“I had a duty to report my caution [to the Solicitors Regulation Authority ] but that unless I reported it myself to the [SRA] they were unlikely to find out especially as when renewing my practising certificate I would only be asked about convictions and not cautions.”
Still concerned, the DAC Beachcroft rookie, then 26, took further steps and contacted an independent solicitor, who told her — contradicting the helpline’s advice — that the police did have a duty to disclose, and that it would only be a matter of time before the SRA discovered the caution.
Finally Butcher contacted the police, who apparently indicated that the offence was so minor that they were not going to disclose the caution to anyone. Having gone back to her solicitor with this information, Butcher says she was informed that “given the police’s stance, it was very unlikely that anybody would ever find out about the caution.”
With this advice, Butcher says she “decided to keep it to myself”.
Fast forward to the autumn of that year when DAC Beachcroft sent round a compliance questionnaire as part of the process for the renewal of practicing certificates. It required details not just of previous convictions, but of cautions. At which point Butcher told the firm about the sunglasses incident.
When questioned internally about this she explained about the advice she had received from both the professional ethics helpline and the police. After ascertaining all the details, DAC Beachcroft reported the youngster to the SRA.
During Butcher’s hearing at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in June this year, it was submitted that the theft had been a “moment of madness” that had occurred as a result of Butcher’s difficulty in coping with the firm’s merger and the departure of colleagues due to the recession. Long hours, lack of support and Butcher’s family living abroad were also cited as reasons behind her actions, which, the tribunal was told, were related to her becoming depressed.
Several DAC partners also testified on Butcher’s behalf, as a picture was painted of a stressed-out high achiever who struggled to copy in the hot house world of City law.
Despite these arguments — and accepting that it “was a very sad case” — the tribunal found that none of the issues raised could allow them to depart from the standard sanction for dishonesty of removal from the roll.
Butcher left DAC Beachcroft prior to the verdict and is now working in legal recruitment.
The full judgement can be read here.