A solicitor, operating a practice from his offices at O’Rahilly Street, Nenagh, Tipperary and who misappropriated client funds leading to claims of more than €500,000 being made against the Law Society, has been struck off by the High Court.
Seosamh Ó Daimhin (Joseph Devine), formerly practising as Devine Solicitors, systematically obtained money from his client accounts between 2007 and 2008, the High Court was informed. Seventy nine claims, totalling €524,927, were later made against the Law Society, latter which has so far repaid €379,365, from its present compensation fund.
Mr Ó Daimhin was found guilty by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) last July of 26 counts of misconduct over the misappropriation of client funds.
The SDT found that €54,676 was wrongly drawn from one client’s estate, €42,500 was wrongly transferred to his office account from another client, and €66,454 in VAT payments was also wrongly discharged to the Revenue Commissioners out of his client’s accounts. He also wrongly discharged a €10,000 booking deposit in relation to the purchase in trust of a property at St Jude’s Square, Dublin.
Four payments were also made for the personal benefit of his wife, Denise Meagher, in February and March 2008, including a sum of €12,000 which went towards managing his wife’s then overdraft.
The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns rejected an application by Patrick Dillon Malone, for Mr Ó Daimhin, to order a full court hearing into the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal findings.
Leave a Reply