C A Jongman

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

The respondent solicitor, after being adjudicated bankrupt, failed to disclose his joint legal interest in a Spanish apartment on his bankruptcy questionnaire and to his trustee in bankruptcy until February 2005. He was convicted at Llanelli Magistrates Court in July 2006 of failing to make a material disclosure in bankruptcy proceedings and fined £3,000. The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated (uncontested) and that he had committed an act of dishonesty, which he himself accepted. Despite mitigation, the Tribunal struck him off the Roll to preserve the reputation of the profession, ordering costs of £3,369.44. The Tribunal noted the misconduct was a single, out-of-character act under considerable pressure and suggested the Law Society could favourably consider his employment with safeguards.

Duties found breached:

• No taking unfair advantage
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct amounted to a criminal offence (conviction for failing to make material disclosure in bankruptcy)
• Failure to disclose was repeated over nearly three years until discovered

Mitigating factors:

• Acted under considerable emotional and other pressure following marriage breakdown and bankruptcy
• Single, out-of-character occasion
• Full cooperation with trustee in bankruptcy once discovered
• Guilty plea at Magistrates Court
• Full cooperation with the Law Society
• Long, previously unblemished career
• Positive testimonials as to character and ability
• Not motivated by personal financial gain
• Not a danger to the public