Disciplinary Record - Stephen Bentley

Stephen Bentley engaged in conduct which was dishonest or otherwise discreditable contrary to paragraphs 301(a)(i) of the Code of Conduct in that on 13 February 2007 he knowingly and wilfully made, in an oral declaration which he was required to make under section 291 of the Insolvency Act 1986, a statement false in a material particular, namely that the equity from the sale of 30 Northcourt Road, Worthing, was ?25,000 and was used for living expenses and chambers rent. That statement was false in that the net proceeds from the sale of that property, being ?77,894.83, were used to purchase another property in the sole name of Mr Bentley?s wife. Such conduct amounted to an offence pursuant to section 5(c) of the Perjury Act 1911 for which Mr Bentley was convicted by the Crown Court at Southwark on 25 November 2009 and sentenced to 9 months? imprisonment (suspended for two years) and ordered to complete 240 hours? unpaid work before 21 December 2010.