Umar Kankiya, 40, from Chafford Hundred, Grays, has admitted to ripping off his law firm with over 120 fraudulent travel expense claims. The Basildon Crown Court heard how the ex-Sternberg Reed LLP lawyer faked trips totalling more than £14,000 while working on legal aid cases.
Fake Trips to Mental Health Hospitals
Kankiya claimed expenses for:
- 86 phantom journeys to Sevenacres mental health unit on the Isle of Wight, costing £12,000+
- 31 bogus trips to St Ann’s Hospital, London, worth over £1,500
- 7 false visits to Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire, totalling £500+
Additional charges involving forged bank statements and ferry bookings were dropped by the CPS but will remain on file.
Fall From Trusted Legal Insider
Sternberg Reed chairman Ben Thomas revealed the fraud was uncovered internally after a tough forensic probe led by CEO Kelly Rotheram. Thankfully, he assured, “There has been no financial prejudice to clients of Sternberg Reed nor the Legal Aid Agency.”
“He specialised in representing those detained in psychiatric hospitals across England and Wales. He has been a Law Society committee member and was at the time a respected and trusted colleague. That trust has been broken.” – Ben Thomas
Judge Warns of Jail Time Ahead
Judge Shane Collery KC didn’t hold back, telling Kankiya: “There is a high risk of custody. I think he needs to be prepared for that.”
Kankiya, who worked mainly on mental health and capacity law, has been ordered to undergo a probation pre-sentence report before sentencing on December 22. He remains free on bail.
