Former Guildford Borough Councillor, Monika Juneja, has avoided a prison term after being convicted of forgery; she had lied about her qualifications and pretended to be a barrister.
Monika Juneja was given a 14-month jail sentence at the Old Bailey Court, however, the sentence has been suspended for two years.
On 11th May 2015, the 36-year-old former councillor had pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery, one of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, and one of pretending to be a barrister.
While sentencing, Judge Gerald Gordon stated, “For a period of some 14 years, you have lived a lie about your qualifications and professional status,” Judge Gordon said.
“You have said that it started because of parental pressure that you felt under to succeed.
“I’m satisfied also that you yourself wanted the status and the prospects of success.
“Looking at the picture overall, it was status rather than financial gain that lies at the heart of what you did, although there clearly must have been financial gain.”
Juneja was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work "for the benefit of the public" in a year, and pay a victim surcharge.
