A CALCULATING solicitor preyed on elderly and vulnerable clients to pay him huge sums in their wills.

Jonathan Leslie Horner abused the trust of those he worked on behalf of while he was a partner at a Brighton solicitors’ firm.

At a Solicitors Regulation Authority disciplinary tribunal it was revealed he had netted more than £400,000 for himself.

It included the entire estate of one elderly woman who lived in a care home, and £100,000 from an elderly woman with dementia.

The dementia patient, named only as MA, told an independent legal advisor that she believed Horner’s children were disabled, even though they are not.

The authority said his misconduct was “prolonged” and “reprehensible”, so he was struck off.

He had worked for Sussex Law, but his co-director Jane Cole was suspicious and reported Horner’s conduct to the SRA in 2017.

At the hearing she claimed that Horner had offered her his half of the business for her to drop the investigation.

Barrister Grace Hansen represented the SRA, and said there were ten clients involved in Horner’s misconduct between 2011 and 2016. It was found that he had failed to tell five clients that they would need independent advice from a separate solicitor if they wished to give him money in their wills.

In three cases he had instructed his own former secretary to give the “independent” advice despite the fact she was not qualified to do so. In two cases, independent advice was given retrospectively.

It was revealed that some of the paperwork showed sums of money being crossed out, with a gift in one will rising from £2,000 to £17,000 in payment to himself. Horner denied he had been influencing clients to leave him more money. He also denied offering Ms Cole his half of the partnership in return for her dropping the investigation, and denied telling MA that his children were disabled.

Paul Parker, representing Horner, said lawyers are often under pressure to execute a will quickly, and said the clients had not complained. The SRA tribunal panel found that Horner’s actions showed a “complete failure in his moral compass” and would “demolish” public trust in the legal profession.

His conduct was “deliberate” and “calculated”. Horner was ordered to pay more than £56,000 in costs.

Companies House documents show Mr Horner resigned from Sussex Law as a director in June 2017. It lists his former correspondence address as the office in Ladies Mile Road, Brighton.

In a statement Sussex Law said: “Immediately upon discovery of irregularities on the part of Jonathan Horner and in accordance with the relevant regulations, Mr Horner’s co-director, Jane Cole, reported the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and appropriate steps were taken to ensure that all affected clients were afforded an opportunity to independently review and, where necessary, amend their wills.

“Jonathan Horner took no further active part within the firm and he was immediately excluded by Jane Cole. He resigned as a director of the firm shortly afterwards in June 2017.

“Jane Cole has been supported by her new fellow directors.

“This has been a highly unusual situation that no lawyer or partner would ever wish to be faced with.

“She is immensely proud of the way she and the members of her firm have handled the situation. Sussex Law continues to have a true commitment to protect the elderly and vulnerable.

“This is paramount and underpins our profession and the ethic of Sussex Law.”

Were you or your family affected by this case? Share your story. Email aidan.barlow@theargus.co.uk or call 01273 021370.