Scott Willey

Scott Willey, 27, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation, one count of making/supplying an article for the use of fraud, one count of falsely implying to be a barrister and one offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

He was sentenced in Inner London Crown Court to jail for two years and three months.

Mr Willey attended the City Law School but did not graduate and was never called to the Bar.

However, he posed as a barrister, offering legal advice and working on cases for a London-based chambers.

He used a copy of a practising certificate stolen from a colleague’s email account and a Bar Council Membership Number belonging to another colleague to maintain the deception.

Mr Willey was able to use the fraudulent practising certificate to obtain a legal aid account, and later began a one-year pupillage at the chambers in October 2017.

His fraud was uncovered in June 2018 after discrepancies in the evidence he had provided about his qualifications came to light.

Detective constable Gary Kearley said: “Willey went to extraordinary lengths to cover up his lack of qualifications and fool a professional chambers of law into hiring him as a barrister.

“Thankfully, his lies were uncovered. He will now have to ponder the consequences of his obsessive pursuit of a career in law from prison.”

One of the cases he was involved in has already had to be re-heard.