Courts / Tipperary / Report

Disgraced solicitor further jailed for stealing €400 from client

Date
2024-11-25

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Cahir

Summary

Cahir O'Higgins, a Dublin criminal‑defence solicitor aged 49, was convicted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of one count of theft and four counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He denied stealing €400 from a client on 30 July 2016 and denied providing incorrect notes to Gardaí in December 2017. The judge described the conduct as "deranged", "thuggish", "base" and "despicable". O'Higgins had earlier pleaded guilty to assault and harassment of a former employee, for which he received a 16‑month sentence in July. The new sentence, imposed by Judge Martin Nolan, was 27 months, back‑dated to 21 October, with the court noting the seriousness of the perverting‑justice charges and the impact on his reputation. O'Higgins expressed remorse and requested an apology to those affected. The court considered mitigating factors but extended his custodial term accordingly. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further verdicts announced.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Disgraced solicitor further jailed for stealing €400 from client. Charges or matters: one count of assault causing harm to fellow solicitor Stephen O'Mahony and to one count of harassing him over a period of time between June 25, 2020 and February 11, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

July 30, 2016 Incident
December 2017 Incident
June 25, 2020 Incident
February 11, 2021 Incident
December 2020 Incident
January 2021 Incident
September 2025 Incident
October 21 Hearing Or Sentence
December 8, 2017 Other
December 17, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
October 2016 Other
March 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
2024-11-25 Publication

Case subjects

Cahir O'Higgins

Convicted Person

Charges: one count of assault causing harm to fellow solicitor Stephen O'Mahony and to one count of harassing him over a period of time between June 25, 2020 and February 11, 2021 (Proven)

Plea: Guilty

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; Having considered the mitigation, he said the court "must extend" O'Higgins's time in prison and imposed a global sentence of 27 months, backdated to October 21 last. O'Higgins spoke after Judge Nolan had finalised the sentence, saying he wished to apologise to everyone impacted by this.