Made 290 false delay claims
A former travel manager at Osborne Clarke has been sanctioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after filing for 290 fake train ticket delays.
Michelle Hallett, who isn’t a solicitor, has been hit with a section 43 order for her actions, preventing a solicitor or law firm from employing her without the regulator’s permission.
Hallet was employed by the firm between May 2019 and January 2023. In September 2022, the firm informed the SRA that it had been contacted by the British Transport Police (BTP) to advise that it was investigating a member of staff for fraud by false representation.
It was alleged that between August 2019 and April 2020 Hallett made 290 false claims for travel delay repayments. She admitted the case in full to BTP in January 2022, and resigned from the firm, according to the SRA’s decision notice.
Fast forward to February this year, Hallett was sentenced to a community order by Swindon Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation. This included a rehabilitation activity requirement alongside unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay compensation of £7,002, a surcharge of £90, and costs of £85.
In determining the appropriate sanction, the SRA took into account that Hallett pleaded guilty, admitted her actions to the SRA, cooperated with both police and SRA investigations, and expressed remorse.
Nonetheless, the SRA said her actions mean that it is “undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice”. The notice goes on to state that offences involving fraud are “at the most serious end of the spectrum”, and that Hallett had “acted dishonestly and her conduct lacks integrity”.
The SRA said Hallett “demonstrated a concerning pattern of behaviour” and that her actions were carried out “for financial gain”.
“The serious nature of her criminal conviction is likely to damage public confidence in the delivery of legal services if she worked in an SRA regulated firm without the SRA’s prior permission,” the noticed continued.
Hallett was also ordered to pay the costs of the investigation, totalled at £300.
An Osborne Clarke spokesperson said:
“We value honesty and integrity and we take our regulatory obligations very seriously. We have fully co-operated with both the SRA, and previously the British Transport Police, throughout the process. The individual in question is no longer an employee of the firm. The offence was committed outside of work and independent of any Osborne Clarke systems.”
