Auctioneer Colm McEvoy has been expelled from the Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute. McEvoy, of Osberstown Stud in Naas, Co Kildare, was expelled for breaches of five rules of the IAVI rules of conduct.

In 2008, McEvoy was ordered by the High Court to repay more than €850,000 from a €1.7m settlement after it was alleged he secretly profited from selling an elderly woman's lands.

The IAVI found McEvoy broke the rule that a member who has commercial interests in property shall "take all reasonable precautions to ensure that no conflict arises between the paramount duty to the client and those interests".

It added that a member had to disclose fully to clients any material circumstances where they are instructed to sell or let a property if it is proposed to do so to the IAVI member, their family, co-director, staff member, partner or nominee, or a private company in which the member holds shares. He also breached the rule that members "at all times make it their first duty to protect and promote the legitimate and ethical interest of their clients to the utmost", and the rule that no member shall act for two parties in the same transaction without the full knowledge and consent of the parties.

The IAVI said it had no comment beyond the advertisement that was published. At the time of writing, Colm McEvoy had not returned a phonecall seeking comment.