Fasar Mahmood
JurisdictionEngland & Wales
BodySolicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT)
Professionsolicitor
Case number12687/2024
Date19/06/2025
OutcomeStrike off
Allegation / charges
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Misappropriation of Client Account, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
SanctionStrike Off
CostsGBP 25,000
Dishonesty foundYes
Respondent solicitor at Tyler Hoffman Ltd misappropriated settlement monies from Client OB's personal injury claim (settled for £8,500 but client told £3,800), diverting £2,555 to Core Rehab, a company connected to him and his wife, for services never provided. He created falsified documents (attendance notes, invoices, a psychological report) on the client file and made false statements to the SRA denying any association with Core Rehab. He admitted all allegations including dishonesty. The Tribunal found calculated, outright dishonesty with no exceptional circumstances and struck him off the Roll, ordering £25,000 costs.
Duties found breached:
- Act in the client's best interests
- Honesty
- Integrity
- No conflict between current clients
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No taking unfair advantage
- Prompt accounting and return of money
- Uphold public trust in the profession
Aggravating factors:
- Conduct was dishonest
- Misconduct was deliberate, calculated and repeated
- Misconduct occurred over a protracted period of no less than three years
- Abused his position of power/authority
- Misappropriated client funds for personal benefit
- Deliberately misled the regulator
Mitigating factors:
- Admitted allegations including dishonesty at an early stage
- Offered an earnest apology and full explanation
- Cooperated by agreeing the outcome
Codes & rules applied
Duties engaged
- Account for interest on client money
- Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
- Act only on proper, lawful instructions
- Advise on alternatives, settlement and outcome
- Avoid wasting the court's time
- Cease acting on client perjury or disobedience
- Client-care and engagement terms
- Client confidentiality
- Competence
- Complaints procedure and handling
- Comply with and respect court orders
- Comply with rules of foreign jurisdictions
- Continuity and handover of representation
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- Costs and fee transparency to client
- Diligence and timeliness
- Disclose adverse law to the court
- Disclose material information to client
- Disclose referrals, commissions and benefits
- Fair dealing with unrepresented parties
- Fair, reasonable and lawful fees
- Full disclosure on ex parte applications
- Good faith and courtesy to colleagues
- Handle inadvertently received material
- Hold a current practising certificate
- Honour professional undertakings
- Keep client informed and respond promptly
- Maintain competence and CPD
- Manage conflict arising mid-matter
- No abuse of process or coercive powers
- No acting against a former client
- No baseless or threatened misconduct report
- No conflict between current clients
- No direct dealing with represented party
- No improper benefit, loan or bequest
- No improper communication with the court
- No improper fee-sharing or partnership
- No improper questioning of witnesses
- No improper solicitation or touting
- No improper use of client money
- Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
- No obstruction or victimisation of reporters
- No own-interest conflict
- No payments to witnesses on evidence
- No personal handling of client money
- No personal opinion or familiarity with court
- No prejudicial publicity for pending cases
- No standing bail or surety for client
- No taking unfair advantage
- No tampering with or coaching witnesses
- Not mislead the court
- Not mislead third parties or opponents
- Not misrepresent regulated status
- Pay instructed practitioners and agents
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Prompt accounting and return of money
- Proper basis for allegations
- Proper termination and return of instructions
- Prosecutorial duty of disclosure
- Prosecutorial fairness and impartiality
- Protect capacity and vulnerable clients
- Protect legal professional privilege
- Report serious misconduct of others
- Safeguard documents and limit liens
- Segregate client money
- Self-report to the regulator
- Truthful, non-misleading advertising