Scott Michael Canavan

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

Scott Michael Canavan, a 21-year-old solicitor's clerk employed by a Cheltenham solicitor who was instructed by Frederick West, retained notebooks from police interviews and sought to sell his notes and recollections to newspapers, breaching duties of confidentiality. He also had prior convictions for burglary and theft disclosing dishonesty. The Tribunal found both allegations substantiated and made a Section 43 order controlling his future employment by solicitors, expressing serious doubts he should ever be so employed, and ordered him to pay costs of £1,185.63.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• No acting against a former client

Aggravating factors:

• Prior criminal convictions for burglary and theft before employment
• Attempted to sell confidential client/employer information for reward, requiring a High Court injunction
• Failed to respond to correspondence seeking explanation and did not appear at the hearing