Brit Solicitor stole £1.2m from quadriplegic client
- From: Jerry@xxxxxxxxx (Jerry)
- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:47:06 GMT
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/08/nsolicitor108.xml
Solicitor stole £1.2m from quadriplegic client
Last Updated: 2:03am BST 08/04/2008
A solicitor has been jailed for 10 years after enjoying a life of
"obscene extravagance" on £1.2 million he stole from a disabled
client.
Thomas McGoldrick, 59, stole the money from Keith Anderson, who was
paid £1.8 million damages after being left a quadriplegic following a
road crash.
He forged a letter claiming Mr Anderson "gifted" him the money, and
used the cash to enjoy exotic holidays, fine wines and fast cars,
while he also funded private education for his children and bought a
£750,000 family home.
The victim was "wrecked and devastated" after finding out his money
had been stolen and was left in debt.
McGoldrick also created false accounts for his firm, McGoldricks -
based in Croydon, Surrey, and Altrincham, Cheshire - which "grossly
exaggerated" his profits so that he could borrow money through 13
credit cards and 33 loans.
He was convicted of 59 counts of fraud in February after, the judge
said, lying his way through a six-week trial at Minshull Street Crown
Court, Manchester.
Passing sentence on Monday, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said it was the
"very worst breach of trust" for a solicitor to steal from his client.
He added: "Mr Anderson was living in limited circumstances, while you,
with his money, were content to live the sort of life you had lived
before."
McGoldrick ran up debts totalling £3 million, but saw his chance when
his firm took on the case of Mr Anderson.
The van driver from Jamaica was left paralysed from the chest down
after the accident in Croydon in November 1996. When he was awarded
the damages in May 2001, McGoldrick drew up a forged letter allegedly
from his client which "gifted" him half the money.
Belfast-born McGoldrick, who qualified at the University of London in
1973, in fact went on to take around £1.2 million.
In December 2004, Mr Anderson went to withdraw money to pay for a
bicycle as a Christmas gift for his six-year-old son and for his
mother and sister to fly over from Jamaica for the holidays.
He expected around £1.1 million to be in his account but his balance
was £224.64.
The bike had to be sent back and his relatives told not to come over.
The thefts came to light after the Law Society called in police and
McGoldrick was arrested. Mr Anderson's losses were repaid by a
lawyers' compensation fund.
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