Litigation Disciplinary Tribunals 19/12/95

Henry Aitchison, 48, admitted 1971, and Tracy Margaret Hall, 37, admitted 1982, husband and wife practised in partnership as Aitchisons, Newcastle, struck off and reprimanded respectively. Allegations substantiated against both that they drew money from client account in breach of accountancy rules. Allegations substantiated against Aitchison alone that he used client money for his own purposes. Tribunal told notified losses said to amount to £1.1 million but total claims against indemnity fund likely to be around £300,000.



Stephen Albert Hyde, conveyancing clerk working for Roger Lloyd & Co, Mosley, Birmingham, banned from working for any further solicitors without written consent from Law Society and ordered to pay £921 costs. Allegations substantiated he was jailed for three years - reduced on appeal to two and a half - after conviction at Birmingham Crown Court in March 1994, of conspiracy to defraud lending institutions.



John Robert Partridge, 36, admitted 1985, practised as John Partridge & Co, Rugby, suspended for three months and ordered to pay £1,918 costs. Allegations substantiated he unreasonably delayed dealing with client affairs, failed or failed with reasonable expedition to reply to correspondence from clients, other solicitors and Solicitors Complaints Bureau, failed or failed with reasonable expedition to hand over deeds and documentation pursuant to instructions, practised uncertificated and failed to file accountant's report on time.



Patrick McLoughlin, solicitor's clerk with Marley & Co, London W4 and Twickenham, banned from working for solicitors in future without written consent of Law Society and ordered to pay £621 costs. Allegations substantiated he was jailed for 18 months at the Old Bailey on 3 February after conviction of four counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.