Jail for solicitor who defrauded clients

A struck-off solicitor who defrauded his clients and company of more than three quarters of a million euro has today been jailed for three and a half years.

David O’Shea (aged 44) of Parkmore Drive, in Terenure was formerly a partner in O'Donovan's Solicitors, on Capel Street in Dublin, which ceased trading in 2009 when they could no longer get professional indemnity cover.

Struck-off solicitor David O'Shea nodded as judge Mary Ellen Ring handed down a four-year sentence with six months suspended.

He pleaded guilty to 26 counts of fraud and theft between 2002 and 2008.

In total he stole €779,000, mainly from dipping into a client account which represented the estate of a Wicklow businessman who died suddenly.

The judge said while the court could not penalise him for being a solicitor, he came in the way of this money because of his profession and because clients trusted that the money was safe in his hands.