A former senior operations support worker for a Liverpool-based firm has been restricted from working in the profession after pocketing a client’s stamp duty land tax refund.
According to a Solicitors Regulation Authority decision notice, Sophie Mulrooney’s duties at First Legal Solicitors Ltd included overseeing and running stamp duty refund cases under a solicitor’s supervision. Following a claim in November 2022, the firm received a £3,062.50 refund on behalf of the client. Mulrooney provided the finance team with bank account details for the refund to be paid into. She left the firm in the first half of 2023.
The client later contacted the firm to request an update as they had not received the refund. An investigation revealed that Mulrooney had amended the client’s name, email and contact number on the management system to someone connected to her. The bank details she had supplied to the finance team were for the same person.
The firm reported Mulrooney to the SRA, paid the client’s refund and improved its controls, the SRA notice said.
Mulrooney admitted her conduct had been dishonest and it ‘was undesirable for her to be involved in a legal practice’. She apologised to the firm and client and offered to pay the money back in instalments.
The SRA said Mulrooney’s conduct was to ‘gain a financial advantage’. She said the person whose details were supplied was unaware of what she had done.
Imposing a section 43 order, the SRA said: ‘There is a risk that Ms Mulrooney may act in a similar way in the future and there is a strong public interest in controlling Ms Mulrooney’s employment at firms we regulate.’
A section 43 order means Mulrooney cannot be employed or remunerated by a solicitor, manager, employee or SRA-regulated body without the SRA’s permission.
Mulrooney must also pay investigation costs of £675.
