Lawyer conned millions out of bank

A high-flying City lawyer who conned millions from her bank bosses to help a friend’s ailing airline was jailed for five years yesterday.

Kate Johns, 39, deputy head of Tokyo Mitsubishi’s legal department, repeatedly cajoled colleagues into ignoring procedure and approving letters of credit totalling more than £6 million.

Sentencing her at London’s Southwark Crown Court, Judge John Price said: “The essence of the fraud was that you used your position to persuade, cajole and, I’m afraid, bully those lower down the chain of command to authorise the loan.”