Litigation Disciplinary Tribunals 13/08/96

Brian William Robert Bennett, 63, admitted 1958, Daviv Richard Chetwyn, 46, admitted 1979, Allan James Beard, 48, admitted 1981, who practised at material times in partnership as Bennett & Co, Truro and Newquay, Cornwall, fined £2,000, £1,000 and struck off respectively. Allegations substantiated they failed to keep properly written accounts, wrongly drew money from client account. Allegations substantiated Beard used client funds for his own purposes.



Trevor Porter, 59, admitted 1977, practised at material time as Jacob Parkinson & Co, Blackpool, fined £3,000. Allegations substantiated he failed to act in client affairs with due diligence, failed to disclose information to client, namely that he had delayed taking steps to obtain decree nisi and misled client by asserting he had taken steps to obtain decree nisi.



Raschid Desai, 47, admitted 1982, practised as Timmis Desai, Covent Garden, London, fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,182 costs. Allegations substantiated he had been convicted of a criminal offence and fined. Tribunal told Desai appeared at Old Bailey in February this year and was fined £500 after pleading guilty to using threatening behaviour. The offence arose out of an incident in which the assignee of a debt owed to Desai was involved in threatening the debtor, though not in the presence of Desai. Tribunal recognised Desai had already been punished in the criminal context but believed a disciplinary penalty should be imposed to mark the seriousness with which it viewed the matter.



Lorraine Keogh, secretary and personal assistant with Freeman Pollard, Chelsea, banned from working for any further solicitors without written consent of Law Society and ordered to pay £1,752 costs. Allegations substantiated she changed the figure of £100 to £1,000 on a cheque drawn on her firm's office account.



Gordon Albert Clive Richards, 54, admitted 1973, practised as assistant solicitor with Caldicott Mundy, Hereford, struck off and ordered to pay £794 costs. Allegations substantiated he had been jailed for dishonesty. Tribunal told Richards was jailed for four months after pleading guilty at South Worcestershire Court on 16 April 1993 to four offences of theft and two of obtaining property by deception. He had also been ordered to pay compensation of £320. The offences involved drawing cheques on what he knew was a closed account and taking three cheques.