Former Northern Ireland solicitor avoids jail over £70k fraud
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Former Banbridge solicitor Paul Downey has avoided jail after admitting he took over £70,000 from a dead client’s estate to fund the running of his practice.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC, sitting in Newry Crown Court, yesterday sentenced Mr Downey to 27 months’ imprisonment suspended for three years, The Irish News reports.
The court took into account Mr Downey’s poor health with advanced stage leukaemia.
Mr Downey pleaded guilty in January to charges of fraud by abuse of position and false accounting on dates between 26 July 2013 and 8 June 2014.
A dozen additional charges of fraud, theft and false accounting were dropped by prosecutors. Separate confiscation proceedings are ongoing.
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