Former judge jailed for deception of friend

A former judge has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for attempting to deceive her elderly friend out of half of his estate while he was a client of her solicitors firm.

Heather Perrin, aged 61, was sentenced yesterday after an eight-day trial which heard that she tricked her 83-year-old victim into bequeathing half his estate, worth about €1m, to her two children.

Last week’s verdict marked the first time in the history of the State that a judge has been found guilty of a serious crime. Perrin offered her resignation to the President on Monday.