A NEWLY qualified solicitor, described as being “like a rabbit in the headlights”, while working at a Bolton firm, has been struck off.

Joseph Paul Gill, aged 30, fabricated emails to cover up his failure to act for five of his clients during his time at Cain and Cochran Solicitors.

Gill, who started work at the firm’s office in Institute Street in 2012, has now been struck off by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

The firm has also been hit with a £7,500 fine and ordered to pay £20,000 costs after it admitted two allegations of failing to operate an adequate system of supervision over Gill and failing to provide a good standard of service to the five clients in question.

A tribunal heard that Gill failed to send out a letter to a client informing him of his potential liability for counsel’s fees.

He then acted dishonestly in telling a company director that he had emailed a client care letter to said client, before sending a false letter in a bid to cover his tracks.

The struggling solicitor also told an employment tribunal that the particulars of his client’s claim had been sent to a respondent.

In total, eight of 10 allegations against Gill were proved, and one in part.

The tribunal found that Gill’s motivation for his misconduct “did not appear to be financial”.

It stated: “It appeared that he wanted to progress and enhance his role and did not want to be criticised. He had been completely incompetent and had become like a “rabbit caught in headlights”.

Following the result, a spokesman for Cain and Cochran said: “It was in fact the firm who reported the conduct of Joseph Gill to the SRA as they had concerns in the manner in which he had dishonestly conducted himself during the course of his employment and the manner in which he had conducted client matters.

“As soon as the conduct on the affected files came to light, some of which only came to light after his employment had been terminated, the firm took immediate steps to remedy the same and went above and beyond to rectify the issues that became apparent.”