The case stemmed from an attempted £6.5 million property sale where the Respondent represented the buyer. The Respondent admitted giving misleading information to the seller’s solicitor about receiving a £650,000 deposit, acting recklessly in doing so, and failing to perform an undertaking to transfer the funds and send the contract copy by the agreed date. Furthermore, the Respondent attempted to prevent the reporting of his misconduct to the SRA.

The Tribunal concluded that his conduct involved serious instances of a lack of integrity, particularly in allegations two and three, and deemed his culpability total, viewing the misconduct as a series of connected failures and a pattern of behaviour rather than an isolated incident.

Despite mitigating factors, including an unblemished record, remorse, cooperation, and personal difficulties, the Tribunal determined that the inherent seriousness of the misconduct outweighed these factors. There was a need to protect the public and the reputation of the profession. The Tribunal concluded that, as no lesser sanction was appropriate, the Respondent should be struck off the Roll of Solicitors. No order for costs was made following the principles from Barnes v SRA Ltd.