News

Milford Haven: Warrant issued after struck-off solicitor failed to attend court

Published

10 years ago

January 23, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Eaves Solicitors: Closed in December 2012

A WARRANT was issued on Thursday (Jan 22) for the arrest of a solicitor who used money from a dead woman’s estate to bulk up his company accounts.

Simon Griffiths, 52, who ran Eaves Solicitors in Milford Haven was struck-off the roll by a Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal in October 2013. Griffiths failed to attend Llanelli Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of false accounting, and one further charge of abuse of position.

The chairman of the bench at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court issued a warrant for the immediate arrest of the former lawyer, and the police were informed.

Griffiths, from Pembroke, was arrested and appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today (Jan 23) to confirm his name and address.

Griffiths’ case will now be dealt with at Swansea Crown Court on Jan 30.

Griffiths was hauled before the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal fifteen months ago, after concerns were raised about his practice at Eaves Solicitors in Milford Haven.

Facing charges: Simon Griffiths

He faced a number of allegations, including failing to fulfill and undertaking and misleading another firm of solicitors, which were found proved. At the beginning of 2011, Griffiths was instructed in the sale of house and undertook the duty to discharge the mortgage before the completion of the sale in April 2011.

However, despite giving repeated assurances to the purchasers’ solicitors, he failed to do so, the tribunal found. “On April 5, a day before completion, Eaves solicitors Mr Griffiths, gave a written undertaking to redeem the Bank of Scotland charge, to provide confirmation of discharge, as the sale was received by the mortgagees,” said Geoff Hudson for the SRA.

He said Eaves Solicitors had received around £100,000 from the sale of another property, but that it would not have been enough to discharge the Bank of Scotland mortgage.

“What sums that had been received were taken for the benefit of the company of which Griffiths was sole director,” Mr Hudson said. He added that one of the accounts ledgers at Eaves did not “meet the required standards” in terms of the information that it contained, and showed money being transferred into the accounts of companies for which Griffiths was the director. The panel was also told that during the sale of the house, Griffiths had twice “misleadingly” wrote to the solicitors of the purchasers to say that he had fulfilled his duty when he had not.

Mr Hudson said: “We say he knew when he wrote those letters because of the pressure and the threat to report to the SRA and to deflect the pressure in misleading them that the mortgage had been redeemed and that the problem was the mortgagee. “We say for a solicitor to mislead another in that way would be seen by reasonable and honest people as being dishonest behaviour.”

The tribunal heard that up until Monday (October 21) the mortgage had still not been discharged. In August 2012 a forensic financial investigation into the running of Eaves solicitors was launched after an allegation surfaced about the transfer of £30,000 from a client’s estate into a company account for which Griffiths was director. The woman, known only as Mrs Ward-Jones, had died and left an estate worth around £150,000 to her two sisters, one of whom, Christine Sheridan, was in a care home. Eaves accounts showed an entry in the July 31 ledger that £30,000 had been paid out as an “interim distribution” to Ms Sheridan’s account.

Financial investigator for the SRA, Oliver Baker, told the hearing that Griffiths’ book-keeper had first raised concerns about practice at the firm. “The firm’s book-keeper pulled me to one side and asked me to look at it as he had not seen supported documentation in relation to the transfer, and I believe he had some concerns about the state of the firm and Griffiths at the time.”

He added that the book-maker was also concerned because he had seen some documentation suggesting the firm might have to close down, but that this was not communicated to him. Mr Baker eventually discovered that although Griffiths had tried to hide the transaction in a paper trail, the sum of £30,000 had in fact gone to an account for Harwood Court Ltd, a company at which Griffiths was the director. “We say for a solicitor to use client monies for his own purposes is seen by reasonable and honest people to be dishonest behaviour,” Mr Hudson said.

Griffiths, who did not attend the central London hearing and was not represented, admitted all of the allegations apart from those relating to account issues. He claimed that at the time of his misconduct he has been suffering from a personality disorder, but the panel found there was not enough evidence to support this. He was found guilty of all the allegations and struck off. Griffiths was also ordered to pay £31,200 in costs.

Finding that Griffith had acted dishonestly, panel chair Dominic Green said: “We have considered this matter carefully on the respondent’s absence.

The seriousness of the misconduct was of the highest level and that a lesser sanction than striking off is not appropriate. “The decision today is that the first respondent is struck off. We have decided that, for protection of the public, and the protection of the reputation of the profession.” Griffiths’ wife, Sarah, and partner firm was initially named as a respondent in the proceedings, but parties reached an agreement with relation to her involvement.

Have you been affected by Eaves Solicitors closure? Please contact The Herald on 01646 45 45 45.

Business

Wolfscastle Country Hotel crowned Wales’ best boutique wedding venue

Published

10 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa has been named Wales’ Best Boutique Wedding Venue for 2024 at the prestigious Welsh National Wedding Awards.

The ceremony, held on Sunday (Nov 10) at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall, welcomed more than 600 guests for its 13th annual celebration. Thousands of votes were cast by brides, grooms, and supporters to determine the winners from over 300 shortlisted nominees.

Double victory

The Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa not only won the regional title for west Wales but also secured the national accolade for the second time in three years.

Known for its glamorous reception spaces and elegant ceremony room, the hotel offers a comprehensive bridal package. This includes wedding accommodation and a private spa experience featuring a hot tub, sauna, and various treatments.

Celebrating success

Taking to social media, the hotel expressed gratitude to its guests and staff for their role in achieving this prestigious honour.

Hotel owner Andy Stirling said:
“We’re very proud to have been nominated and voted winners in both our local and national categories.

“I have the pleasure of seeing how tirelessly Lowri, and my wife Mandy Stirling, our wedding coordinators, work on every wedding to tailor the experience to suit the couples we have joining us.

“We pride ourselves on offering exquisite in-house catering provided by head chef Seb, head pastry chef Adama, and our excellent kitchen team, backed up by first-class table service from our highly experienced waiting staff.

“I am overwhelmingly grateful for the support of our guests and couples who have wedded with us in helping achieve this award.

“I know that myself and the team all look forward to hosting many more phenomenal weddings in the future.”

Welsh National Wedding Awards

The awards celebrate the best wedding venues and services across Wales, with attendees from all regions of the country.

***Celebrations: Andy and Mandy Stirling with wedding co-ordinator Lowri Nicholas (Pic: Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa)***

Community

Special guests for Torch showing of ‘Attack on Sorpe Dam’

Published

17 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY was the most appropriate day for the screening before a Pembrokeshire audience of a remarkable film, narrated by the last surviving ‘Dambuster’ of the RAF’s 617 Squadron.

The RAF’s Air Officer Wales, Air Commodore Rob Woods, and World War II Veteran Duncan Hilling, of Saundersfoot, were chief guests at the Torch Theatre for the showing of ‘Attack on Sorpe Dam’, one of three large dams in Germany attacked by 617 Squadron in May 1943.

They were joined by service representatives, air cadets and many locals – the evening being a fundraising event for the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincolnshire.

Exquisitely created in digital format, the film describes the story of Avro Lancaster bomber AJ-T which attacked the Sorpe Dam, with the narration by the late Squadron Leader Johnny Johnson, who died in 2022. He was the bomb aimer on the aircraft which dropped an ‘Upkeep’ bomb on the dam.

It is the culmination of six years of work by film producer Andrew Panton and Pitor Forkasiewicz and is now part of the IBCC archive. Also shown was a short film ‘Remembering the Avro Lancaster’ in which four wartime aircrew visit a preserved Lancaster at a Lincolnshire museum. The film was launched that day by the IBCC, with the Torch audience being the first to see a live screening.

The event was organised by Andrew Panton’s brother, Ian, of St Davids, who commented: “There was no doubt that many found this a very special occasion for Remembering Them, and so many others, on Remembrance Sunday.”

On display during the evening was a Lancaster bomb aimer’s panel, re-created by Dr Andy Watkin, a Trustee of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

Entertainment

Two-day Christmas fair set for Pembrokeshire

Published

1 day ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s annual Christmas Fair will run for two days this year, on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15.

Held at the Parkhouse Building on the Haverfordwest Showground, the venue will transform into a festive shopping destination, offering an expanded range of stalls, live music, Santa’s Grotto, and an outdoor food court.

Expanded event

Event organisers Judith Roach and Emma Thomas expressed their excitement about the extended format. They said:
“We are thrilled to announce that our Christmas Fair will run for two days instead of just one. We are building on last year’s success with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. The Parkhouse Building will become a one-stop shop for everyone preparing for Christmas.”

The fair will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days, with free admission for all visitors.

Festive treats and unique gifts

Attendees can expect to browse an extensive selection of unique gifts, handmade decorations, artwork, and homeware. Local food and drink producers will also showcase festive delights, including chocolate brownies, fudge, spirits, and Welsh cheeses.

An outdoor food court will cater for visitors on the go, with a variety of hot and cold options.

Santa’s Grotto

Santa himself will make a special appearance, with children able to visit him for £3 per child. Each child will receive a small gift, with all proceeds going to the Sandy Bear charity. Advance bookings can be made via the Sandy Bear website.

Community effort

Adam Thorne, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, praised the efforts of the event’s organisers:
“The society would like to thank Judith and Emma for their dedication in organising this two-day event. We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to do their Christmas shopping while enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourages visitors to follow the Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for updates and a complete list of stallholders.

The event promises to be a perfect start to the holiday season, welcoming families and shoppers alike.