Former solicitor sentenced for defrauding law firm

A former solicitor who defrauded a Hereford law firm out of £160,000 has been sentenced to 30 months.

Fiona Parsons, aged 54, of Henver Road, Newquay, Cornwall, pled guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday 24 April.

Parsons (pictured) had defrauded over 300 clients in to paying money into her own personal bank account rather than the firms which accumulated to just over £160,000.

Her prosecution followed an extensive investigation by officers from Hereford CID and West Mercia’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU).

Parson’s fraudulent activity could first be traced back to September 2020 when two house buyers were asked to pay £400 into a bank account to pay for property searches.

However, two years later the couple began receiving bills from the solicitors saying they still owed money for the searches.

The police investigation uncovered multiple similar fraudulent activities with the same method after that, through to March 2023 when Parsons was arrested, and the prosecution case began.

She was sentenced to 30 months and Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings are ongoing.

Detective Constable Cathryn Blake of Hereford CID said: “We are pleased to get this custodial sentence at court for Parsons whose fraudulent activities cost a law firm just over £160,000 over a three-year period.

“Her actions not only put customers out of pocket but the business too and it was not only an abuse of her position as a solicitor but also an abuse of trust.

“We would like to thank the firm for their cooperation and all the clients who have been spoken to, whether that was by myself or the firm for their help during this investigation.”