Trainee Solicitor banned after Stalking Woman

A trainee solicitor who was previously convicted of stalking a woman has been barred from the legal profession.

Aqeeb Khan received an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, in 2016.

He worked for Maurice Andrews Solicitors in Birmingham which specialises in criminal law. At the time of the offence, he was not a member of Maurice Andrews staff.

According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Khan has now been made subject to an order under section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974.

This prevents him from working for a law firm without the SRA’s permission.

In November 2016, Khan was convicted by Shropshire Magistrates’ Court of stalking, causing his victim serious alarm or distress which had an adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities, contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

The conviction was in relation to an incident in early 2016 that included making a threatening phone call to his victim and following her in a vehicle.

Khan received a suspended prison sentence.

He was ordered to participate in rehabilitation activity up to 20 days within the supervision period of 12 months.

Khan also received a restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim in any way until January 2020.

Khan was fined £150, ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge as well as Crown Prosecution Service costs of £750.

In February 2018, Khan appealed the conviction at Shrewsbury Crown Court but it was dismissed.

The SRA order was made in early June 2021 and it became effective 28 days later. Khan was also ordered to pay the SRA costs of £300.

The SRA described Khan as a “person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor”.

It went on to say:

“Mr Khan has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.”

The stipulations include:

• No solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor.
• No employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor’s practice.
• No recognised body shall employ or remunerate him.
• No manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body.

Following the SRA’s ruling, Maurice Andrews Solicitors declined to comment.