The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reported the removal of four law firm workers from the profession within the space of two days. 

The four, from firms across the country of varying sizes, were made subject to a section 43 order which allows for the banning of non-solicitors without SRA permission. All were confirmed through notices posted on the SRA website this month. There is no suggestion of any connection between the cases. 

Jamal Haider, a financial controller and systems manager formerly at Yorkshire firm Stapleton Gardner Limited, was found to have written two client account cheques to himself and forged the signature of one of the firm’s directors. This misconduct occurred between November 2017 and January this year. 

Haider was given a written rebuke and ordered to pay a £2,000 fine and £600 costs. 

Samuel Onyebuchi Oblorah left confidential papers in the front garden of his homes in Dagenham, Essex. The SRA said this breached two of its principles and failed to achieve keep the affairs of a client confidential. 

The conduct occurred while Oblorah was employed as a consultant in Mental Health Act cases by east London firm TTS Solicitors at the time of the misconduct. The SRA said his current whereabouts are unknown and he did not co-operate with its investigation, the outcome of which was a £2,000 fine and £600 costs. 

Mark Mould, a senior payroll technician at the London office of international firm Norton Rose Fulbright, was convicted in July 2017 of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property. Mould admitted the charge and was convicted at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court.  

He was jailed for four months, given a 12-months supervision order, made to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and ordered to pay £1,500 compensation. 

The conviction occurred at the time of his employment by Norton Rose but was outside of practice and did not relate in any way to the firm. Mould no longer works for the firm. 

Finally, Glyn Owen, whose former SRA-regulated firm was not disclosed, was removed after his convictions at Manchester Crown Court for three offences of making indecent photographs of a child, possessing indecent images of a child, and possessing extreme pornographic images. 

The applications engineer, who is currently unemployed, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, ordered to undertake 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 60 hours unpaid work.