Criminal law
Crimes of dishonesty solicitors
Dishonesty charges can be brought for a variety of reasons, from theft to tax evasion and from bribery to benefits fraud. The consequences can be serious. If you’ve been charged with any offence involving dishonesty, protect your livelihood and liberty right away by speaking to an experienced defence solicitor.

Dishonesty charges
Slater and Gordon’s criminal defence solicitors have the experience you need if you’ve been charged with dishonesty. Call us now on 0161 830 9632 or contact us and we’ll call you.
Talk to a criminal defence solicitor today
Contact usCan you help if I’ve been charged with dishonesty?
A great variety of crimes fall under the catch-all term of ‘dishonesty’ offences. Yet the one thing they have in common is that the effects on your life and liberty can be very serious.
Most crimes involving dishonesty can result in a custodial sentence and even where that isn’t the case, a conviction for dishonesty can seriously affect your reputation and career.
That’s why you need the services of an experienced criminal lawyer from the moment you first realise that you’re suspected of dishonesty, for any of these offences and more besides:
• Theft, including shoplifting
• Fraud
• Handling stolen goods
• Money laundering
• False accounting
• Tax or VAT evasion
• Embezzlement
• Benefits fraud
• Bribery or Corruption
• Online copyright infringement
The courts have a wide range of sentencing options for crimes of dishonesty, which run from community orders and fines all the way through to lengthy prison sentences.
Longer custodial sentences tend to be associated with the embezzlement of large sums, from numerous people and over a period of years; but it’s important to remember that courts treat even ‘white collar’ crimes like this with the utmost seriousness.
If you’ve been charged with dishonesty, or believe that you may be, it’s imperative to speak to an experienced criminal defence solicitor as quickly as possible and certainly before giving a formal statement to the Police.
Call us on 0161 830 9632 or contact us and we’ll call you.
What is the best defence to a dishonesty charge?
If you’ve been arrested for an offence involving dishonesty, or have been made aware of proceedings by HMRC, for misreporting of VAT for example, honesty is usually the best policy.
If you’re innocent of any crime, we’ll help to defend you and clear your good name as quickly as possible. However, if it does turn out that you’ve a case to answer – whether you’ve made an honest mistake or have simply been caught taking something you shouldn’t have – the sooner you hold your hand up to the mistake, the sooner we can seek to mitigate the offence and ask for more lenient charges or penalties to be considered.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that we may be able to mitigate against any charges if we can prove that you were coerced into acting dishonestly by someone else, or had no knowledge that you were dealing with the proceeds of crime, for example.
Even where you avoid a custodial sentence following a guilty verdict, conviction of most dishonesty offences can have far-reaching effects on your life and career. Whatever dishonesty charge has been brought against you, taking expert legal advice right away is imperative.
Talk to one of Slater and Gordon's dishonesty defence solicitors today. Phone us on 0161 830 9632 or contact us and we’ll call you.
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