‘Severe question mark’ over her legal career
A former law student at Kingston University London has seen her dream of becoming a qualified lawyer dealt a major blow after she took part in a £750,000 bank fraud.
Faith Whitter was handed an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, after changing a customer’s account password while she was working as a cashier at Metro Bank. This allowed fraudsters to siphon out the funds.
Inner London Crown Court heard how Whitter, 22, had “no idea” so much money would be stolen. Evening Standard also reports that Whitter “immediately confessed” when arrested by police and did plead guilty in court.
The budding lawyer joined Kingston University in 2014 but left in 2016 following a car accident. Whitter’s barrister, Charter Chambers’ Leila Gaskin, told the court her “kind, generous and bright” client had planned to return to university to complete her studies. However, Whitter’s dreams of doing so were now in tatters thanks to her part in the crime, Gaskin also said.
Whitter will have to complete 200 hours of community service, pay £640 in costs and fees, and observe a curfew for the next two months. Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hurst said:
“You opened the back door of the bank to the fraudsters. Without you it couldn’t have happened. It is a tragedy of the case that, as a consequence, a very promising career you had ahead of you has now got a severe question mark over it.”
It is worth noting that Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) policy does state that “there are no convictions or otherwise that lead to an automatic refusal” from the profession.
