Criminal damage too
A senior paralegal has been barred from working in the legal profession after being convicted of stalking offences and criminal damage.
Gemma Clarke, who worked as a senior paralegal at national law firm Knights between January 2020 and June 2023, has been barred following a decision by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) published last week.
According to the regulator, Clarke was convicted on 1 May 2024 of stalking involving serious alarm or distress. She was later convicted on 16 September 2024 of a further stalking offence, as well as criminal damage to property valued under £5,000.
The SRA found that her conduct breached principles 2 and 5 of the SRA’s code of conduct, which require individuals to act in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the profession and to act with integrity.
Clarke has been made subject to a disqualification order under section 99 of the Legal Services Act 2007, preventing her from being employed by a regulated firm. She has also been ordered to pay £600 in costs.