Robert Nigel Wiggans

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

The Respondent, a partner and COFA at Hellewell Pasley & Brewer, made five improper transfers totalling £86,150 from client account to office account between November 2015 and August 2016 to fund the failing business, and failed to keep proper accounting records and remedy the breaches. He admitted all allegations including dishonesty. The matter was dealt with on the papers via an Agreed Outcome. The Tribunal found high culpability and substantial harm, no exceptional circumstances, and ordered that he be struck off the Roll and pay costs of £9,777.96.

Duties found breached:

• Integrity
• Uphold public trust in the profession
• Act in the client's best interests
• No improper use of client money
• Accounting records, reconciliation and reports
• Diligence and timeliness
• Firm governance, systems and compliance
• Not misrepresent regulated status

Aggravating factors:

• Misconduct involved dishonesty
• Deliberate and repeated breaches of the SAR
• Misconduct continued over approximately 8 months
• Concealment of wrongdoing through false accounting
• Respondent knew or ought to have known conduct breached obligations to protect the public and reputation of the profession
• High culpability as experienced partner and COFA

Mitigating factors:

• Full responsibility taken and apology offered
• Early admissions and cooperation with the SRA
• Positive character references
• Was under significant financial and personal pressure at the material time, including health problems
• Firm in poor financial position and loss of a partner