Bogus solicitor from Harlesden faces jail

A bogus solicitor from Harlesden caught forging a legal ruling after he used the wrong title for the judge is facing jail.

Nicholas Moss, 52, of Drayton Road, said the judgement was issued by Mr Justice Munby instead of Lord Justice Munby, the President of the Family Division.

Today the Old Bailey heard he falsely claimed that the judge had ruled a construction worker did not have to pay £20,000 owed to the taxman.

But Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs became suspicious after noticing a series of errors in the document and Sir James Munby confirmed it was a fake.

Moss, who admitted he was falsely acting as a solicitor, claimed he sent the fake judgement to an accountant as a ‘test’.

He pleaded guilty to acting as a solicitor when not qualified and was convicted of another count of forgery

The judge Mr Recorder Oliver Sells QC warned Moss that he could be sent to prison.

He said: “All options remain open in terms of sentencing and the likelihood is that there will be an immediate custodial sentence.”

Mr Recorder Sells banned Moss from travelling outside the UK, despite the defendant having booked a week-long holiday in Spain on October 7.

He also imposed a curfew between 10pm and 7am.

Moss graduated in law from the University of Liverpool but did not qualify as a solicitor and does not have a practising certificate.

He later started working voluntarily with the Community Law Project organisation and in April 2012 represented Shkelzen Kransniqi at a hearing at Willesden County Court.

Later investigation revealed that Moss had adapted a judgement in 2007 given by the then Mr Justice Munby.

He was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced on November 7.