Woman claimed to be solicitor and gave unregulated immigration advice

[dutchman]

The judge at Warwick Crown Court told Arshiya Siddiqui she had cost her victims thousands of pounds and she should hang her head in shame



A woman falsely claimed to be a solicitor and provided immigration advice which badly impacted two people, a court heard.

Arshiya Siddiqui's advice affected one person's ability to study in the UK and hindered another person's residency application.

Ms Siddiqui, of Coventry, was found guilty of two counts of providing unregulated advice and one of fraud.

She was given an 18-month suspended sentence at Warwick Crown Court.

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner said she had falsely advised two people between 2015 and 2020.

Ms Siddiqui, 43, of Wellington Road, had cost them thousands of pounds in fees, the office added.

His Honour Justice Cooke said: "You were willing to and did misrepresent yourself as a solicitor, repeated the misrepresentation and took money under false pretences."

He also said she "gave some of the most persistent displays of dishonesty on oath that I've seen in a long time".

The judge said she should hang her head in shame for her performance in court and added: "You have a higher opinion of your own abilities than is warranted."

On top of the suspended sentence, she was given a 25-day rehabilitation activity and a curfew running between 21:00 and 06.30 BST for two months.