Woman jailed for £500k fraud from Hove solicitors

A woman is beginning a 57 month jail term for stealing nearly half a million pounds from a solictors’ firm in Hove.

Leanne Harris (pictured), 25, of Gildridge, in Whitesmith, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court today (27th January) after previously pleaded guilty to six offences, including defrauding a 90-year-old woman of her life savings, which she used to fund a lavish lifestyle.

She was sentenced for five offences of fraud from her time as legal executive at Arscotts Solicitors of Lansdowne Place between 2008 and 2011. She also pleaded guilty to a sixth offence of fraud on another account to which she had access.

Harris stole £419,000 from five separate clients through an office client account to which she had access and also stole £64,000 from an elderly lady for whom she had power of attorney.

Detective Constable Valerie Henwood said” “Harris caused considerable grief to many people by her selfish and dishonest actions. She contributed to the closure of long standing family firm with a loss of 30 jobs, caused great upset to the families who owned the client funds, stripped a 90-year old lady of all her life savings leaving her without money to pay for her care, and just used the money to live a lifestyle beyond her means.”

Leanne Harris

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Posted by Joseph Lewis on January 27, 2012. Filed under Featured,Hove. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry