Agrees to be struck off
An ex-partner at Slater & Gordon who strung along a client for 17 years with false statements about the progress of their case has been struck off in an agreement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Nicholas Giles Collins first took on the client in 2004 when he was an associate at Russell Jones & Walker. He continued to represent the client after Russell Jones & Walker was acquired by Slater & Gordon until 2021, at which time the now partner resigned during an internal investigation into his actions.
Collins was instructed on a personal injury claim against the Inland Revenue (now HMRC), his client’s former employer. After telling his client that they had been awarded £360,000 following an arbitration, the solicitor stated that he had begun enforcement proceedings against the Inland Revenue.
He had, however, not contracted HMRC, nor was his client awarded any damages.
Over the course of the next 17 years he produced documents to evidence this fictitious claim, including producing submissions to counsel he never instructed, and notes of court hearings that never happened.
The web of lies also included fake appeals, the instruction of bailiffs, and even named barristers that Collins claimed to have instructed.
The rouse only came to light when Collins’ client contacted their local MP and it transpired that no enquiries had been made with HMRC, not was a claim ever made.
Commenting on the impact of Collins’ actions, his former client said in a witness statement that: “It makes me very angry. I feel like I have been conned. Mr Collins caused me considerable stress and anxiety since he took over my case in 2004 and this continues as my compensation case is far from being resolved.”
“I have sleepless nights thinking about if this will ever be sorted, they continued. “As HMRC are no longer prepared to deal with my claim and S&G are unable to continue to act for me I’m not convinced that I will get what I was awarded originally or anything at all. The only option I can see open to me is to sue S&G which would mean having to trust another firm of solicitors and having the continuing stress and expense of legal action in order to bring about a resolution to my claim.”
“My compensation case has dominated most of my life, I was 24 when my case started and currently my claim is in its 26th year without no resolution in sight,” they said.
“I do not know why Mr Collins would do this to me, why he would string me along all these years,” the former client continued. “At any time over the last 19 years, he could have owned up but even now after he has been caught out he has not acknowledged or apologised for his dishonesty….”
The former solicitor has now been struck off after his case was settled by way of agreed outcome with the regulator and signed off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
He was also ordered to pay £6,300 costs.
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