Graham John Leather

• Application 10189-2009
• Admitted 1975
• Hearing 30 March 2010
• Reasons 18 May 2010

The SDT ordered that the respondent, of HMP Standford Hill (No AV2601), Church Road, East Church, Sheerness, Kent ME12, should be struck off the roll. By virtue of his conviction of conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown Court on 22 July 2009, the respondent had breached rule 1 of the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2007. (The SDT ordered that five other allegations should lie on the file, and it made no findings with regard to those allegations.) The SDT found that the respondent had been convicted of an offence of dishonesty and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. It was right that he be struck off the roll of Solicitors.
The SDT noted a reference in correspondence to the respondent’s impecunious circumstances. There was however insufficient information before the SDT for it to be able to assess those circumstances. The SDT was satisfied that the costs leading to the five allegations left on the file had been properly incurred and should be borne by the respondent. It would therefore order costs in the amount claimed but would invite the Solicitors Regulation Authority to enforce those costs having first taken into consideration any information provided to it regarding the respondent’s financial situation.

The respondent was ordered to pay costs of £22,749.