A solicitor who repeatedly lied to clients, her firm and the court has been struck off the roll after admitting dishonesty.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said Amanda Marie Lennon, admitted in 2010, had embarked on ‘sustained’ misconduct during her five years practising as an associate with Sheffield-based Ascent Performance Group.  The practice is a subsidiary of national firm Irwin Mitchell.

Lennon, was suspended by her firm after she admitted telling court in possession proceedings that an agent booked to attend a hearing had been taken ill and could not attend. No agent had been booked and the firm’s advocacy suppliers confirmed they were not instructed on the case. Lennon, then practising under her maiden name Goral, secured an adjournment through her false statement but failed to meet a deadline for an application for relief and the case was struck out.

Lennon’s dishonesty was uncovered when the matter was reassigned to a colleague, prompting her to email her line manager admitting she had ‘cocked up a bit’ and ‘buried my head in the sand’. She explained she had anxiety and made a ‘really rubbish decision’ not to admit at the time to what had happened.

The issue caused the firm to investigate Lennon's conduct, to discover she had misled the same client about the progress of other litigation. She had told the client that judgment had been obtained in their favour when cases had stalled or been struck out. Lennon also twice fabricated court attendance notes purportedly from the firm’s advocacy provider.

In total, Irwin Mitchell reported eight matters in which Lennon had misled a client and/or the court abut the progress of litigation.

Lennon admitted all the allegations and agreed to be struck off and to pay £2,000 costs. She offered in mitigation that she co-operated with the SRA and that her mental health suffered during the period in question.

In a statement of agreed facts, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said Lennon was highly culpable for her misconduct. It added: ‘Rather than admit to the court and her client that she had made mistakes or was negligent in missing deadlines and not taking necessary action to advance claims, she lied to the court and [the client] on numerous occasions, going to the extent of falsifying emails and attendance notes to support her lies.’

  • Lennon has no connection with employment specialist Amanda Maria Lennon, admitted in 2001 and who has an unblemished disciplinary record.

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