Andrew Gordon Haywood

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

Andrew Gordon Haywood, a conveyancing clerk (not a solicitor) at Tustain Jones & Co., admitted misappropriating a minimum of £109,554.10 from the firm's client account for his own use, including fraudulently obtaining a second unsecured mortgage and failing to redeem a client's mortgage. The shortage was rectified by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund. The Tribunal found the allegation substantiated and made an order under Section 43 of the Solicitors Act 1974 controlling his future employment in the solicitors' profession, and ordered him to pay costs of £4,134.62. Although the conduct involved misappropriation and criminal acts, the decision did not make an express finding of dishonesty.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Substantial sums misappropriated (minimum £109,554.10)
• Conduct amounting to criminal acts, with criminal proceedings pending

Mitigating factors:

• Shortage rectified in full by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund
• Much of the benefit was not personal - funds used to support a local football club and property speculation benefiting third parties