A solicitor from Cornwall pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Worcester Crown Court.
An associate property solicitor from a firm based in Hereford directed more than 300 clients to pay money into her own personal bank account rather than to the firm.
The fraud was traced back and believed to have started in September of 2020, when two house buyers paid £400 into an account to cover property searches. Two years on, the couple began to receive bills from the firm, which told them they still owed money.
Officers from Hereford CID and West Mercia’s economic crime unit discovered multiple similar incidents, ranging from March 2023 when the solicitor was arrested. Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings are now underway following the solicitor in question’s sentence.
“We are pleased to get this custodial sentence at court for Parsons whose fraudulent activities cost a law firm just over £160,000 over a three-year period,” stated Cathryn Blake of Hereford CID.
“Her actions not only put customers out of pocket but the business too and it was not only an abuse of her position as a solicitor but also an abuse of trust.”
“We would like to thank the firm for their cooperation and all the clients who have been spoken to, whether that was by myself or the firm for their help during this investigation.”
Admitted in 1998, the solicitor has been the subject of interim practising conditions since 2023. They will now be subject to disciplinary proceedings by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Source: here.
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