On 9 August 2017, Ms Leopoldine Van Daalen was found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court on four charges under the Fraud Act 2006. This followed an attempt by Ms Van Daalen to fraudulently advance through the process to register as an architect.
On 12 September 2017, the Judge, Mr Recorder Weatherill QC, sentenced Ms Van Daalen to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 15 months, in respect of all four charges. She was also sentenced to 130 hours community service. The sentences will run concurrently.
The circumstances of the case are that on 28 July 2015, whilst applying to sit ARB’s prescribed examination, Ms Van Daalen submitted a falsified degree certificate amongst other falsified documents. ARB considered her apparent actions a criminal offence under section 2 (1) of the Fraud Act 2006, and duly sought to prosecute.
As a statutory regulator, ARB operates robust registration processes during which the applications we receive are carefully verified to ensure that they are genuine and meet the required standards. It was as a result of these careful checks that concerns were raised.
In comments made at the time of sentencing the Judge said, “These sort of cases are not brought lightly. They are brought because there is a public interest in maintaining high standards of professional qualification and protecting the public from those who pretend to be qualified. It is a serious matter to set out to deceive ARB and UCAS that you are on the way to qualifying when you are not. If ARB had not been vigilant you would have got further along the way. If you had, the sentence would have been more serious and less merciful than it has been. I have been influenced not to make an immediate sentence of custody because it seems you have been embroiled in a passion to become an Architect that has led you to be delusional about your prospects of becoming one or of the quality of the examinations you had passed.
In no way, shape or form were you entitled to sit the course at UEL [University of East London] or to apply for the Part 2 qualifications because you did not hold the requisite qualifications necessary. Nobody can know what prompted your criminal conduct. I am satisfied it was nipped in the bud so as little damage was actually done to the public views as to Architects’ qualifications was done as was possible. Do not re-offend or you will be brought back to this Court and re-sentenced.”
Karen Holmes, the Registrar and Chief Executive of ARB said, ‘We were very pleased with the outcome in terms of the guilty verdicts and the sentence because it does demonstrate the seriousness of the offence. It is in the public interest that we carefully verify applications for registration in order to maintain an accurate Register and this incidence demonstrates the importance of our robust processes.’
You can read more about this case in the news section of our website. There is a press release covering the guilty verdict and another release regarding the sentencing.
