HEER: BENT SOLICITOR STRUCK OFF FOR CLIENT THEFTS

A crooked solicitor wept today (weds) as she was thrown out of the profession for stealing more than £5,744 of client’s money.

Raminder Heer, 54, also tried to take another £6,085 from customers at Veja Solicitors in South Road, Southall, west London, the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal heard. 

Heer sobbed as she told the hearing: ‘I have done something really terrible and there is no excuse for it.’

The lawyer who has a successful 22 year career worked mainly on family hearings for the firm.

But she started drinking heavily when she separated from her husband in 1994.

‘I buried my head in the sand by drinking more,’ she told the hearing.

‘I was very careful, no-one knew about it at work. My children knew about it.’

Heer said she suffered from depression but the tablets prescribed for her made her feel worse.

She then started dipping into client’s cash.

The lawyer has since sold her house and is claiming jobseekers allowance. She suffers from high blood pressure and is diabetic.

Dabbing at her face with a tissue Heer told the tribunal: ‘I wanted to come today so you could see how resourceful I am. I don’t know what brought me to this at this stage in my life.’
 
Heer admitted eight offences of dishonesty at Harrow Crown Court in October 2010.

She was given a suspended sentence on condition she tackled her drinking problem.

Heer admitted behaving in a way likely to diminish public trust in the legal profession.

Tribunal chairman Edward Richards said: ‘The tribunal considers this to be a particularly sad case.

‘We have given full credit for the frank admission by Mrs Heer and we also recognise the considerable courage shown by her attendance today.

‘However, we must recognise that this matter is one of dishonesty involving client money and accordingly we order that the respondent be struck off the roll of solicitors.’

Heer was also ordered to pay costs of £1,734.
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