Stole over €850,000 from clients

PATSY McARDLE

A former solicitor has been jailed for three and a half years at Monaghan Circuit Court after he pleading guilty to stealing €850,000 from clients' accounts over seven years. Paul Madden (50) was jailed when he pleaded guilty to 16 charges under the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, for stealing cash from various clients' accounts to the amount of €850,000 over a period from 2006 to 2013.

Paul Madden, a father of three, who had a legal practice in the town of Clones, was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan on two of the charges. He was sentenced to three and a half years on each charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. The remainder of the charges were marked proven and taken into account by the judge.

The charges against the former lawyer all related to offences alleged to have taken place at the premises of Paul Madden & Co, Fitzpatrick Square, Clones. He was charged that, on a date unknown between July 15 and August 14, 2013, he stole property, to wit monies, to the value of €27,500, property of Edward McDermott; that he stole monies to the value of €36,982.08, property of Peter McGurk, on December 13, 2011; and that he stole monies to the value of €68,991.46, property of Barry Langan and Rose Langan on September 16, 2013.

He was further charged with stealing €77,986.93, property of Peter McCabe, on August 31, 2010; and stealing €60,650, the property of Sandra McMahon and Paul Dobbin, on a date unknown between October 1, 2006, and September 16, 2013.

Other charges alleged that the defendant stole three separate sums of €109,377.48, €32,500.53 and €34,866.91, all in March, 2012, property of John James Caulfield. The former solicitor was also charged with stealing the sums of €36,198.86 and €17,277.58, the property of Georgina Skelton, on August 28, 2009; a further €50,313.11 from Ms Skelton on August 31, 2009; and stealing sums of €79,152.72 and €59,682.53 from the same injured party April 30 and May 21, 2009.

Other charges were that he stole monies to the value of €46,841.14, and €80,000, from John Henry Skelton on the respective dates of March 4, 2013 and June 21, 2013. He was also charged with stealing €38,550, the property of James Campbell, between July 19, 2007 and October 27, 2012.

Remorse

Mr Madden, who was called by defence counsel to give evidence before sentencing, said he was remorseful from the bottom of his heart for what he had done and was deeply regretful for the shame and disgrace he had brought on himself and his family and the impact it had on the legal profession.

In imposing the sentences, the judge remarked that, regrettably the, solicitor, whom he accepted had now full remorse for his actions, had betrayed his profession by the thefts from client accounts.