Stephen John Acres

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

Stephen John Acres, a solicitor and former partner at Stanley De Leon, was found to have committed extensive and serious misconduct in relation to his elderly, vulnerable client MG, for whom he acted as (purported) attorney. The Tribunal found multiple dishonesty allegations proved beyond reasonable doubt, including using client money to pay his own SRA costs debt, plundering MG's NatWest account through cheques, transfers, debit card and cash withdrawals, fabricating attendance notes and a deed of variation attendance note, charging for work not done, concealing the existence of a bank account, and lying to the OPG and SRA. The Tribunal proceeded in his absence after refusing his adjournment application. Describing the case as one of the most deplorable cases of dishonest plundering of a vulnerable client's assets, the Tribunal struck him off the Roll and ordered him to pay costs of £70,000.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No improper communication with the court
• No taking unfair advantage
• Not mislead third parties or opponents
• No conflict between current clients
• Handle inadvertently received material
• No improper use of client money
• Self-report to the regulator
• No baseless or threatened misconduct report

Aggravating factors:

• Numerous findings of dishonesty
• Conduct motivated by personal financial gain
• Misconduct planned, deliberate and calculated
• Gross breach of trust placed in him as attorney
• Repeatedly stole money from a vulnerable, elderly client
• Concealment of dishonesty through fabrication of documents
• Fabricated over a year's worth of attendance notes
• Took advantage of an elderly and extremely vulnerable client
• Displayed no insight
• Sought to evade the proceedings
• Previous disciplinary record (2012 fine and costs)