A shamed lawyer who helped a fraudster run a £1.6million scheme which saw vulnerable people conned out of their homes has been struck off.
John Craxton, 60, was hired by Edwin McLaren, 55, who targeted cash-strapped householders and induced them to unknowingly sign over ownership of their homes.
Craxton bought and sold homes on McLaren’s behalf and helped him build up a portfolio of properties.
McLaren would buy a share in a house in return for the homeowner getting a cash boost.
But he got people to sign papers which resulted in them no longer owning their properties.
Houses were then sold and McLaren went on to pocket the proceeds with victims receiving little, if any, of the cash promised.
Craxton was granted immunity from prosecution for giving evidence against McLaren and wife Lorraine at a High Court trial.
Edwin McLaren was found quilty of 29 charges and jailed for 11-and-a-half years in May 2017.
Craxton, of Dumbarton, had removed himself from the roll of solicitors but the case went before the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal. It ruled he should never be allowed to return to the profession and called his actions “serious and reprehensible”.
Craxton did not take part in proceedings against him but wrote a letter saying he accepted his professional misconduct.
