Michael Lloyd Wilson

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

Michael Lloyd Wilson, admitted in 2003, was convicted on indictment on 25 April 2016 at the Central Criminal Court of acquiring/possessing criminal property (money laundering under s.329(1)(a) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002), sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and disqualified as a director for 7 years. As director of Global Wine Investments Limited he took approximately £100,000 of investors' money (who expected to receive vintage wines) for his own purposes. He admitted the allegation; the Tribunal found breaches of Principles 1, 2 and 6, including a lack of integrity. The Tribunal found the offence so serious that strike-off was the appropriate and proportionate sanction, and ordered costs of £3,397. No express finding of dishonesty was made.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Aggravating factors:

• Serious criminal offence resulting in a 3-year custodial sentence
• Repeated use of members of the public's money over a period of time to fund his other businesses
• Took advantage of members of the public including elderly people
• Ought reasonably to have known his conduct breached his obligations to protect the public and the reputation of the profession
• High culpability case involving money laundering

Mitigating factors:

• Long previously unblemished record (practised 13 years with no issues)
• Early admissions of his behaviour
• Genuine remorse and insight; spoke candidly
• Unlikely to repeat the conduct