Solicitor apprentice barred after hiding arrest from firm

Claimed absence was due to illness

A solicitor apprentice has been barred from working at law firms without the regulator’s permission after claiming his absence from work was due to illness when he had actually been arrested.

Owen Goodhand worked as an apprentice solicitor at Kent firm Martin Tolhurst Partnership from September 2023 until his dismissal in June 2025. On 28 March 2025, he was arrested following a police investigation and subsequently released on bail.

According to the SRA’s decision notice, Goodhand emailed the firm’s HR manager and his supervisor on 1 April, claiming he had been absent on the day of his arrest due to illness.

Things took a further turn later that month when Goodhand attended a meeting with his supervisor and was asked directly whether he was aware of any personal conduct issues that could constitute a breach of the SRA’s code of conduct, including “being arrested, charged or convicted on any criminal matter”. Goodhand responded “no”, despite having been arrested just weeks earlier.

The apprentice eventually disclosed his arrest during a meeting with the firm’s compliance officer on 8 May, admitting that he had been dishonest when questioned by his supervisor. He was dismissed by the firm the following month.

Kent Police subsequently confirmed that the criminal investigation into Goodhand had been closed with no further action taken.

The SRA has now imposed a section 43 order, finding that the serious and dishonest nature of Goodhand’s conduct meant it was “undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice” without the regulator’s prior approval.

The former apprentice was also ordered to pay £600 towards the regulator’s costs.