2020-11-04
Former barrister jailed for stealing €235k from businessman
Stage: Sentence
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally said that Russell had been acting in the capacity of a financial advisor and had built up a relationship of trust with Mr O'Connell. "He therefore committed a very substantial breach of trust," the judge said. She sentenced Russell to four years with final 12 months suspended on strict condition including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months and that the €2,000 be handed over to the garda for Mr O'Connell.; She said Russell "must have contemplated that there was a distinct possibility" that this would happen, given his previous profession, before she referred to the fact that the case had been adjourned a number of times.