Courts / Mayo / Report

Solicitor stole €260k from clients after falling €6.5m in debt

Summary

A former solicitor from County Mayo pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €260,000 from client accounts between 2008 and 2011. Jacqueline Durcan, aged 47, made five withdrawals from mixed deposit accounts while managing Durcan Solicitors in Castlebar, which she had inherited from her father. The court heard she and her husband were indebted to banks for €6.5 million at the time, following property investments during the boom years. While some funds were used for office costs and insurance, €51,500 was applied to her home purchase in 2010. Upon learning an audit was imminent in early 2011, Durcan notified the Law Society of the deficit. She was struck off in 2011 and subsequently relocated to Belgium, where she teaches English. The Law Society paid €206,184 in compensation claims, which Durcan has since repaid. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to 21 November 2016.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Solicitor stole €260k from clients after falling €6.5m in debt. Charges or matters: one count of stealing €260,000 between February 21, 2008 and January 27, 2011. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 21, 2008 Incident
• January 27, 2011 Incident
• September 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 21 Adjournment
• 2008 and 2011 Incident
• 2016-11-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report