Terence Symmonds

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

Terence Symmonds, a barrister who had also practised as a solicitor, faced three charges of professional misconduct: engaging in discreditable conduct as a solicitor (evidenced by three SDT findings resulting in a £5,000 fine in 2009, a one-year suspension in 2011, and being struck off the Roll in 2014), and two charges of failing to report those SDT findings to the BSB. The hearing proceeded in his absence via Zoom during the pandemic. The Panel found all charges proved and, noting that some conduct involved a lack of integrity (though no express finding of dishonesty was made), unanimously disbarred him on each charge, also ordering that no practising certificate be issued to him.

Duties found breached:

• Report serious misconduct of others
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Repeated and escalating professional misconduct as a solicitor across three SDT hearings (fine, suspension, strike-off)
• Findings of lack of integrity in relation to handling client funds
• Breach of professional undertaking regarding £27,000
• Failure to self-report serious misconduct to regulator

Mitigating factors:

• Personal circumstances including periods of homelessness
• A fraud had been perpetrated against him by another person
• Belief that SDT findings would be automatically communicated to the Bar Council/BSB
• Acceptance of the findings made against him as a solicitor