In a case which underlines the wisdom of clients checking the qualifications of lawyers they instruct, a bogus solicitor who stole from clients, regularly appeared in court and secured divorces for husbands without their spouses' knowledge has failed to win a cut in his prison sentence on appeal.
Khuram Shazad Ali, 33, from Bradford, was jailed for four years and eight months at Bradford Crown Court in May 2012 after admitting assorted counts of theft, fraud, and using a false instrument with intent. Although he had never qualified as a solicitor, he displayed an 'utter contempt for the law' and duped unsuspecting clients into believing he was a legal expert.
Ali's lawyers challenged the length of his sentence, citing his previous good character, his young family and his fragile health. Ali suffers from narcolepsy and chronic eczema which has flared up alarmingly in custody.