Michael Small sentenced to two years for deception

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Michael Small was sentenced to two years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had pleaded guilty to deception and false accounting. The proceedings were reported on 28 March 2023.

The former solicitor had given undertakings that loans would be used to buy properties worth more than €1m. The court heard that the money was drawn down into an account, but the properties were not purchased. His lawyers said he did not substantially benefit personally and that most of the mortgage money was dispersed to clients, mortgage brokers or elsewhere.

Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Small did not benefit to a great degree, but said he was the principal cause of the offences and they could not have occurred without his involvement. The judge took account of his guilty pleas, co-operation and admissions to gardaí. He deferred the start of the sentence until Thursday that week.