This case concerned allegations of professional misconduct brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) against Mr Stuart Nuttall, a solicitor on the Roll, but not holding a practising certificate at the time of the relevant conduct.

The first Allegation related to Mr Nuttall obtaining a loan of £5,000 for his company, Sentium Group Limited, by misrepresentation, including impersonating a fellow director and electronically signing his name as guarantor. The second allegation concerned a false representation made to Counsel’s clerk that payment of fees had been authorised, when no such payment had been made. The third allegation involved a prolonged failure to co-operate with the SRA’s investigation, despite evidence that Mr Nuttall was actively engaged in litigation during the same period.

In the absence of the Respondent engaging with the proceedings or attending the hearing, the Tribunal proceeded to hear the case in his absence. All of the allegations were found proved to the requisite standard.

The Tribunal found on the balance of probabilities that Mr Nuttall’s conduct breached multiple Principles under both the 2011 and 2019 SRA Principles, including acting
without integrity, failing to maintain public trust, and acting dishonestly. The Tribunal applied the test for dishonesty as set out in Ivey v Genting Casinos and concluded that the Respondent’s conduct in respect of the first two allegations was dishonest by the standards of ordinary decent people.