Timothy Peter Ackrel
Allegation / charges
Breaches
Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision
Timothy Peter Ackrel, an in-house solicitor, was found to have facilitated payments of investor funds to third parties without justification, continued acting in unsustainable schemes, created bogus legal charges worth £68m, facilitated improper money movements with money laundering indicators, and acted in schemes bearing hallmarks of dubious transactions, in connection with off-plan property developments that placed approximately £16.26m of investor funds at risk. The Tribunal found all allegations proved beyond reasonable doubt, including express dishonesty under the Ivey test. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £41,325. The hearing proceeded in his absence.
Duties found breached:
- Integrity
- Uphold public trust in the profession
- No conflict between current clients
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- AML and crime-prevention compliance
Aggravating factors:
- Finding of dishonesty
- Misconduct deliberate, calculated and repeated
- Schemes designed to encourage investment despite AC's past record
- Respondent knew he was in material breach of obligations
- Misconduct continued almost three years
- Breach of position of trust
- Very experienced solicitor (10+ years qualified)
Mitigating factors:
- Co-operation with the Liquidator
- No previous disciplinary findings
Duties engaged
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Professional independence
- No bribery or improper gifts
- Personal probity and fitness to practise
- Uphold public trust in the profession
- No unlawful discrimination or harassment
- Act in the client's best interests
- Advise objectively, not a mere conduit
- No conflict between current clients
- Cooperate openly with regulators
- AML and crime-prevention compliance