TREVOR HOWARD BRICKHILL

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

The practitioner, a former managing partner, counselled his former client's wife to destroy computer records relevant to a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation, and knowingly gave false evidence under oath before the Commission about the extent of his advice to his former client. He was criminally convicted of both offences (fined $10,000 for the false evidence offence and given a 12-month suspended sentence for counselling destruction of evidence in the criminal proceedings). The SAT found professional misconduct and recommended removal from the Roll. The Full Bench of the Supreme Court of WA, dealing with the matter on the papers with the practitioner's consent, found the convictions demonstrated a lack of integrity and honesty rendering him unfit to practise, and ordered his name removed from the Roll, with $1,000 costs payable to the Legal Practice Board (no order as to the Supreme Court proceedings costs).

Duties found breached:

• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• Handle inadvertently received material
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Conduct occurred in connection with the administration of justice
• Counselling destruction of evidence tended to pervert the course of justice
• Knowingly giving false evidence under oath, analogous to perjury
• Recent and serious criminal convictions

Mitigating factors:

• Consented to removal from the Roll and did not oppose the application
• Recognised and accepted the seriousness of his conduct
• Pleaded guilty to both criminal charges