Architect Stripped of Registration After Exploiting Vulnerable Sister
A senior architect with over four decades of experience has been struck off the professional register after systematically embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from his own sister, who suffers from dementia. David Bell, now in his sixties, abused his position as power of attorney to siphon £160,000 from Janet Mann's estate over a three-year period, using the funds to finance an extravagant lifestyle for himself and his wife.
Lavish Spending Funded by Stolen Money
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) heard how Bell diverted his sister's substantial assets to pay for luxury holidays to destinations including Cuba and the United States. The inappropriate expenditures extended to beauty treatments, dental care, restaurant meals, and various purchases abroad. Shockingly, Bell even took out a loan using his sister's money to support his struggling architectural business.
Bell, who had been a director at Edinburgh practice Fouin & Bell Architects before its 2023 liquidation, admitted his motivation was simply "opportunity" and that he had "made a mess of things." Despite his claims that he always intended to repay the stolen funds, the tribunal found his actions constituted repeated and persistent dishonesty over an extended period.
Systematic Financial Exploitation Uncovered
The case came to light when Bell contacted Edinburgh City Council in 2018 seeking assistance with his sister's care fees, despite her being "a rather wealthy individual with a large number of assets." This request triggered an investigation that revealed the extensive misuse of funds.
Financial records showed astonishing activity in one account, with £976,151.61 transferred out and over £1 million transferred in between October 2012 and April 2018. Bell and his wife had used their power of attorney authority to make payments to major retailers including Costco, John Lewis, and Debenhams, alongside the personal luxuries.
Legal Consequences and Professional Fallout
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court in May last year, Bell was convicted of embezzlement but avoided prison. Instead, he received a 225-hour community payback order to be completed within twelve months, alongside a compensation order of £160,998 with the same repayment deadline.
Representing himself at the ARB tribunal, Bell argued that his offence "only involved family matters" and did not affect his professional work or clients. He claimed his sister suffered "no harm" from his actions and that she remained well cared for. Bell characterised his behaviour as a "failure of management" rather than issues of "integrity or dishonesty."
Tribunal's Damning Verdict
The ARB tribunal delivered a scathing assessment of Bell's conduct, finding he had shown limited remorse and failed to appreciate the broader implications of his actions. Martin Winter, chair of the tribunal, noted that while Bell initially had good intentions when taking on the power of attorney role after being distant from his sister for thirty years, his subsequent behaviour was unacceptable.
"The Committee is satisfied that Bell's role as Power of Attorney was not dishonest from the outset," Winter stated. "However, he described that he 'made a mess of things,' which is evident from his conviction. The conduct involved the commission of an offence against a vulnerable person. The public would be appalled that an architect convicted of such an offence could continue to be an architect."
The tribunal determined that Bell's conviction had damaged the reputation of the architectural profession because it involved "dishonesty" and "abuse of position of trust." They found his offending was "opportunistic but was not spontaneous and was enduring for at least three years and involved a substantial sum of money."
Struck Off to Protect Profession's Reputation
In their final decision, the ARB concluded that Bell's fitness to practise was impaired due to his conviction. They ruled that striking him off the register was necessary to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct.
The case highlights serious concerns about financial abuse of vulnerable adults, particularly when family members hold positions of trust through powers of attorney. Bell and his wife surrendered their power of attorney in December 2019, after which the case was referred to Police Scotland, leading to the eventual prosecution and professional consequences.
