A solicitor has been jailed for 16 months after being linked with a drug dealer and found guilty of stealing his clients’ money.
James Thorburn-Muirhead has been ordered to repay the £200,000 he was thought to have stolen from clients of his legal practice Thorburn & Co in Henley-On-Thames.
Thorburn-Muirhead, a commercial property solicitor, was connected with convicted drug trafficker Steven Smith after an investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) led to him coming under suspicion for laundering the proceeds gained through the theft.
The 63-year-old Thorburn-Muirhead, who lives in Shepherds Green, was charged with ten counts of theft and false accounting in July 2009.
The sole proprietor of Thorburn & Co in New Street, Henley, was also charged with one count of money laundering and one count of failing to disclose information under the Proceeds of Crime Act. In addition, he pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and false accounting and one count of failing to disclose between 2003 and 2008.
Hundreds of conveyancing files, accounting records and computers were seized after warrants were produced for his home and office to be searched by SOCA. The resulting investigation showed evidence of a connection with Smith and theft from accounts of Thorburn & Co clients.
“He was derelict in his legal obligations to his clients, regulators and to law enforcement.
“This case should be a deterrent to anyone in the regulated sector who may be tempted to work with criminals or turn a blind eye to criminality — the short-term gains seem attractive but the long-term effects for your career and profession are anything but.”
Thorburn-Muirhead’s practice was closed on July 29 2009 by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority on the grounds of suspected dishonesty.
A confiscation order was made for £196,198, which he must pay within nine months or a two-year default sentence will apply, along with a compensation order of £12,666.67 and £25,000 in prosecution costs.
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