Former Belfast solicitor spared jail after admitting defrauding estates of three dead clients

Today at 14:40

A former solicitor who admitted defrauding the estates of three deceased clients has been spared jail.

Gerald Henvey overcharged his professional fees, failed to pay money to charities which were specified in wills and ploughed the defrauded funds into his solicitors’ firm.A former solicitor appeared in a Belfast court today where he was charged with five counts of fraud by abuse of position.

Gerard Henvey, from Cranmore Gardens in Belfast, pleaded guilty to three charges and entered not guilty pleas to two.

The 68 year old was charged that between October 22, 2007 and July 2, 2011, whilst occupying a position in which he was expected to safeguard or not act against the financial interests of the estate of a deceased female, he dishonestly abused that position by overcharging professional fees with the intention to make a gain for himself or cause loss to the estate of the dead woman.

When asked how he pleaded to this charge, the 68-year-old replied “guilty”.

He was then charged with two similar offences against two further deceased females – one committed between March 4, 2012 and October 6, 2012 and the second between March 22, 2012 and July 5, 2012.

Henvey entered guilty pleas to both of these charges.