SOLICITOR’S TRUST ACCOUNT.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 18239, 13 July 1931, Page 2

SOLICITOR’S TRUST ACCOUNT.

CHARGE AGAINST NAPIER MAN ’QUAKE DESTROYS MONEY. THE CASE ADJOURNED. Telegraph—Press Association.; WELLINGTON, July 13 Allegations made by the New Zealand Law Society that William Hislop, a barrister and solicitor, of Napier, failed to account to a client for a certain sum of money held for that client, and failed to keep trust moneys in a proper trust account, came before the Court of Appeal this morning. The Court consisted of the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, Justices Herdman, Maegoiegor and Kennedy. Mr P. Hay, counsel for Hislop, said prima facie it might appear that an offence had been committed by Hislop, but the actual circumstances disclosed a complete absence of dishonesty on his part. Hislop received a sum of money on beliali of a lady client on the discharge of a mortgage under which she was the mortgagee, and he banked that money in his trust account between December 17, 1930, and February 3 1931. He did not bank again, am’ during that time drew against the said sum cheques in favour of other clients, holding in his office unbanked money sufficient to cover the cheques paid out. When the earthquake came the sum of £SOO was in the office, and that was destroyed. He was accordingly unable to pay to his client in full the amount which he had received on her behalf. The Court intimated that the facts before it were not sufficient to enable it to deal with the explanation of the practitioner, and gave Mr Hay the option of taking an adjournment to Friday to adduce further facts. This was accepted, and the Court adjourned. I