Shamed Tyneside solicitor conned Zimbabwean farmers

Jun 3 2009 by Katy Simpson, The Journal

A SHAMED Tyneside solicitor has been struck off for conning Zimbabwean farmers out of thousands of pounds.

John Asher Lockwood, 46, was only recently qualified when he left a South Shields law firm to go to the African country, where he scammed at least £27,000 from desperate landowners.

He targeted people evicted from their farms by the Zimbabwean government and told them he could help claim compensation from the British Government.

Each farmer was asked to pay a non-refundable deposit of £1,000 and sign an agreement entitling Mr Lockwood to a percentage of any compensation.

But a tribunal heard yesterday he made no effort to progress their cases and failed to answer calls and letters when they became concerned.

Although he had only just completed his training, Mr Lockwood told his victims he was a partner in the disgraced law firm McCarron & Smallcombe.

The company, formerly in Beach Road, South Shields, has since been closed down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Mr Lockwood left the firm in 2001, but continued encouraging clients to sign up for the compensation claims.

The solicitor was not present at yesterday’s hearing, despite numerous efforts by the court to contact him.

The last known address for him is in Zimbabwe, but his former wife, who lives in the North East, told the court she believed he was currently living in Washington, Tyne and Wear.