ROBERT PETER WESTON

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

The Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee moved to strike Robert Peter Weston off the roll based on a report by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. The Tribunal heard 17 references alleging unprofessional/illegal conduct, gross overcharging and neglect, finding the practitioner guilty in each case. Serious findings included unauthorised withdrawals of large sums of client trust money (which he blamed on his common law wife/accounts manager, an explanation the Tribunal rejected), failure to reconcile and monitor his trust account, abandoning his practice and leaving the jurisdiction without notifying clients or the Board, neglect of client matters, and gross overcharging. The Full Bench held the conduct demonstrated the practitioner was not a fit and proper person to remain in the profession and ordered him struck off the roll with costs. No express finding of dishonesty was made.

Duties found breached:

• Uphold public trust in the profession
• No improper use of client money
• Orderly wind-down and contingency cover

Aggravating factors:

• Extremely serious breaches involving large sums of client trust money
• Multiple references (17) involving repeated misconduct
• Abandonment of practice and leaving jurisdiction without notice to clients
• Loss/destruction of client files