Christopher Robert Fuller

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

Christopher Robert Fuller, a non-solicitor employed by Hewetts Solicitors, acted for the Page family in the administration of an estate and a related property sale. He admitted acting in a conflict of interest and failing to advise the client to seek independent advice. The Tribunal also found proved that, through his separate property business Exnine Developments, he secretly entered into an agreement with the purchaser (Sahana Homes) that secured fees/overage payments to himself, without disclosing his interest to the clients, thereby making a secret profit and misleading and taking unfair advantage of clients who trusted him. The Tribunal disbelieved Fuller, finding he had concocted a story that the clients had engaged in a fraudulent scheme. It made an order under Section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974 restricting his employment by solicitors and ordered him to pay £13,000 costs. The decision did not use the express word 'dishonesty'.

Duties found breached:

• No taking unfair advantage
• No own-interest conflict
• No conflict between current clients

Aggravating factors:

• Failed to disclose his own business interests (Exnine Developments) and the fees he stood to gain from the property transaction
• Took advantage of a long-standing personal and professional relationship of trust with the Page family
• Gave inconsistent accounts to the Law Society and concocted a false allegation that the clients had engaged in a fraudulent scheme, which he never put to them in evidence
• Delayed paying over monies due to the clients

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted allegations (i) and (iv)
• Appeared in person before the Tribunal
• Long-standing relationship with the family
• Eventually paid the £6,000 plus interest to the estate solicitors