A solicitor who transferred over £64,500 of client account money to his personal bank account has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).

Mark Anthony Whittaker was also found to have transferred £5,000 in client funds to his girlfriend, who lived in Romania. To try and cover his tracks, he described his girlfriend as “Counsel”.

The SDT said Mr Whittaker had shown a “cavalier disregard for his professional obligations and had driven a coach and horses through the Solicitors Account Rules, with which he should have complied. … His conduct had been disgraceful and he was not fit to be a member of the profession”.

He was also found to have submitted false and misleading information to his firm’s professional negligence insurer.

He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of just under £17,000.

(Source – Legal Futures website)