Andrew Neil Stephenson

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

The Respondent, an unadmitted accounts manager at a solicitors' firm, was convicted at Teesside Crown Court of fraud by abuse of position for dishonestly transferring £32,568.84 from client account into an account he controlled over three years, and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. The Tribunal found all three breaches proved (Principles 1, 2 and 6). The conviction expressly involved dishonesty. The Tribunal made a Section 43 Order prohibiting his employment by solicitors without SRA permission, and ordered costs of £3,600 not to be enforced without leave given his impecuniosity (unemployed, on benefits, with significant debts).

Duties found breached:

• No abuse of process or coercive powers
• Integrity
• Uphold public trust in the profession

Mitigating factors:

• Guilty plea at first available opportunity
• Admitted all allegations and approached the application appropriately