Stewart Quartz

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

Stewart Quartz, an unadmitted conveyancing/completions clerk at Mayo Wynne Baxter, made 38 unauthorised payments totalling £30,270.44 from client account between April 2006 and July 2008, applying the funds to his personal debts (Barclaycard, mortgages, council tax and water bills). He concealed his activities through false requisition slips, fake VAT credit notes, overstated fees and ledger manipulation. The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated and expressly found him dishonest under the Twinsectra test. It made a Section 43 order restricting his employment in the profession and ordered him to pay £15,000 costs.

Duties found breached:

• Honesty
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• 38 unauthorised payments over more than two years totalling £30,270.44
• Concealment through false requisition slips, VAT credit notes, overstating land registry fees, understating property values to reduce stamp duty, and manipulation of client ledgers
• Payments used to meet personal debts (Barclaycard, mortgages, council tax, water bills)

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the allegations
• Shortfall in client funds rectified by the firm