A loyal and ‘highly valued’ solicitor’s clerk accu

A loyal and ‘highly valued’ solicitor’s clerk accused of stealing from her employers was today (Tues) banned from working in the legal profession without the special permission of the Law Society.

Linda Palk was said to have put her career on the line for a paltry pnds stlg 105.

And the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal in London heard that Mrs Palk had worked for Gilbert Stephens of Exeter for 12 years before the sum went missing.

Mrs Palk did not attend the hearing today to offer an explanation or defend herself against the accusation that she pocketed the cash.

But in an internal investigation led by her employer Mrs Palk did claim that she put the cash in question into the ‘In’ tray of boss Mr Paul Dunn.

The money has never been discovered and Mrs Palk was sacked from the firm based at (17) Southern Hay in December last year.

Mr Nicolas Kingsley for the Law Society said that the discrepancy came to light last December when a client was asked to pay up pnds stlg 105 which accountants at Gilbert Stephens thought was still outstanding.

The client protested that the money had been paid in March and said they had a receipt to prove the point.

‘Crucially Mrs Palk had not completed the counterfoil [to the receipt].

The loss of the money then came to light some months later.

‘The firm swung into action and made a very detailed investigation.

‘She could not remember what happened on the day in question and she said also that she would not be at the hearing today.

‘Mrs Palk could not explain what had happened to the money.

Following interviews she was sacked,’ Mr Kingsley said.

And Mr Kingsley declared that Mrs Palk’s absence at today’s hearing ‘discharged the burden on the Law Society’ to prove her guilt.

‘If she was genuine in what she said and if she wanted to assist in this application she would be here today,’ Mr Kingsley concluded.

Chairman Mr David Faull ruled that Mrs Palk could not work for solicitors without the permission of the Law Society.

And Mr Faull reduced the costs that Mr Kinglsey had claimed the Law Society was owed from pnds stlg 850 to 500.

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