Andrew Neil Stephenson

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Andrew Neil Stephenson, an unadmitted accounts manager at Thorp Parker LLP, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to fraud by abuse of position (Fraud Act 2006), having dishonestly transferred £32,568.84 of client account money to an account he set up over a three-year period, and was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment. The SDT found all three allegations proved beyond reasonable doubt based on the conviction. The conviction itself was for an offence of dishonesty. The Tribunal made a Section 43 order restricting his employment in connection with a solicitor's practice without SRA permission, and ordered costs of £3,600, not to be enforced without leave of the Tribunal given his impecuniosity.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Serve justice and improve the law
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Serious breach of trust against employer of 14-15 years
• Sophisticated offence involving concealment via a separate account
• Committed over a lengthy three-year period

Mitigating factors:

• Pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity / admitted all allegations
• Approached the application in an entirely appropriate manner
• No previous disciplinary matters
• Unemployed, reliant on state benefits, no property, no savings and significant debts