Kerry Katona brands her former accountant a ‘manipulating liar’ as he is jailed for conning 1,200 people after posing as a barrister and personal insolvency practitioner

Published: 03:36, 27 February 2025 | Updated: 05:08, 27 February 2025

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A serial fraudster who previously worked as Kerry Katona‘s accountant has been jailed for six years after he posed as a barrister and personal insolvency practitioner and defrauded an estimated 1,200 people.

David Williams, 68, of Eadestown, Rathmore, Co. Kildare, and previously of Sroughan, Blessington, Co. Wicklow, pleaded guilty to multiple sample counts of deception between January 2019 and 2020 but failed to turn up at his sentencing last month.

He also admitted to charges of providing legal services while an unqualified person and acting as a personal insolvency practitioner while an unauthorised person during the same period.Co-accused Crystal Talia, 46, of Sroughan, Blessington, pleaded guilty to impeding an investigation by allowing Williams to use her bank accounts. 

Talia, originally from Uganda, was previously given a one-year suspended sentence.

In a separate bill, Williams pleaded guilty to defrauding a Galway woman in her 80s by dishonestly inducing her to buy a mini digger for over €7,000 (£5,788)

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau began to investigate a firm called THL Legal, which offered legal services including advice about work permits and leave-to-remain applications. 

Most of the people seeking advice were not of Irish origin and had paid sums averaging €1,500 (£1,240) to the company.

Co-accused Crystal Talia, 46, of Sroughan, Blessington, pleaded guilty to impeding an investigation by allowing Williams to use her bank accounts. 

Talia, originally from Uganda, was previously given a one-year suspended sentence.

In a separate bill, Williams pleaded guilty to defrauding a Galway woman in her 80s by dishonestly inducing her to buy a mini digger for over €7,000 (£5,788)

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau began to investigate a firm called THL Legal, which offered legal services including advice about work permits and leave-to-remain applications. 

Most of the people seeking advice were not of Irish origin and had paid sums averaging €1,500 (£1,240) to the company. 

Former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona said serial fraudster David Williams once worked as her accountant – and was the reason she went into bankruptcy

David Williams, 68, has been jailed for six years after he posed as a barrister and personal insolvency practitioner and defrauded an estimated 1,200 people