Andrew Cutland

A lawyer was removed from the professional register for deceiving a friend with false promises of a training contract. The incident, brought before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, involved Andrew James Cutland, who falsely claimed to be a director at Bartlett Gooding & Weelen Solicitors (BGW). He offered a job to a woman, known as Person A, with the assurance of a training contract. Person A, who had previously worked with Cutland and viewed him as a close friend, became doubtful of his honesty upon discovering he was married, contrary to his earlier denial. This led to her realization that Cutland had no authority to offer her a job, leaving her feeling betrayed and distressed.

Cutland, aged 36, contested these allegations at the tribunal, denying any false job offers or claims of being a firm director. However, the tribunal found his explanations inconsistent and unbelievable, establishing that he had indeed misrepresented himself as a director.

Dervla Nash, a director at BGW, testified that Cutland had deceitfully led Person A to believe in a non-existent training contract, even encouraging her to share the news with her family and employer. Nash criticized Cutland for continuing his deception despite Person A's vulnerable state, accusing him of indulging in lies for self-satisfaction. This deception was especially damaging given Person A's challenging circumstances at work and her emotional vulnerability at the time.