Disciplinary Record - Simon Kennett Gurr

Decision - Prosecution

Outcome: Referral to Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal

Outcome date: 28 March 2024

Published date: 4 January 2024

Firm details

Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome

Name: Direction Home (Law) LLP

Address(es): 31 Watling Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2UD

Firm ID: 487978

Outcome details

This outcome was reached by SRA decision.

Reasons/basis

This notification relates to a Decision to prosecute before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.  This is an independent Tribunal which will reach its own decision after considering all the evidence, including any evidence put forward by the Solicitor.  The Tribunal has certified that there is a case to answer in respect of allegations which are or include that Mr Gurr:- 

1. Created a letter to the court on 20 May 2019 and backdated it to 9 January 2019 (the backdated letter) which gave the misleading impression that it had been created and sent on the earlier date; 
2. Attempted to mislead the Court and/or the defendant when he referred to the backdated letter: (i) in his witness statement dated 29 July 2019 and purported to exhibit the letter to his witness statement (but did not in fact attach it); and (ii) in his correspondence with the court dated 17 May 2019; 
3. Having been asked by the firm to produce a copy of his email to the firm’s Professional Indemnity Insurance brokers on 11 October 2019, he attempted to mislead the firm’s Compliance Officers for Legal Practice and Finance and Administration (COLP and COFA) when he stated that he had emailed the insurers in July or August 2019 when he had not in fact done so and did not do so until 14 October 2019; 
4. Attempted to mislead the insurer in his notification email dated 14 October 2019 when he stated that a time estimate had been agreed and that he had notified the court when this was not true.   

The allegations are subject to a Hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven.