By Lucy Caulkett-
A former solicitor convicted of defrauding clients of a staggering £3 million, has been ordered to repay just £3,312.45 in a judicial twist that has left many dumfounded.
Christopher Michael Bilmes, admitted in 2004, was sentenced to four years and eight months imprisonment in 2023 after he pleaded guilty to seven charges of fraud.
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This revelation unfolded during a hearing at Lewes Crown Court, where Bilmes, the now 46-year-old ex-solicitor and founder of Bilmes Law LLP, appeared via video.
Bilmes was the head partner of his own legal firm, based at Groombridge.
The unscrupulous 45-year-old took payment for legal services over a three-year period while providing conveyancing, general litigate, family and matrimonial services.
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.The authority has paid out more than £2.7 million in compensation.
Bilmes faced the court’s scrutiny after pleading guilty to seven charges of fraud last year. The charges stemmed from his dubious activities between November 2014 and October 2017, during which he dishonestly appropriated £1,767,322 from the client account at Bilmes Law.
The sentencing resulted in a 56-month prison term for Bilmes, and his fraudulent deeds came to light in 2017 when the firm abruptly ceased trading, prompting the intervention of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Today’s proceedings offered an astonishing revelation: Bilmes, who had benefitted from the fraudulent activities to the tune of £3,196,585.12, had available assets totaling a mere £3,312.42.
Judge Mooney, presiding over the hearing, expressed bewilderment at this vast disparity, labeling the available assets as “surprising” and questioning the whereabouts of the rest of the misappropriated funds.
The judge acknowledged Bilmes’ involvement in a second business, raising further questions about financial dealings that might have contributed to this apparent financial vacuum.
Jessica Goldring, representing the prosecution, disclosed Bilmes’ association with additional business ventures. The court accepted figures mutually agreed upon by the parties, leading to a court order for Bilmes to repay £3,312.42 within four months.
Moreover, the court specified that this amount would be utilized for compensation, earmarked for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a loan company.
This seemingly incongruous resolution of the payment order will ignite public outrage and fuel discussions about the effectiveness of financial restitution in cases of white-collar crime.
Critics argue that the financial consequence appears disproportionately light compared to the gravity of Bilmes’ fraudulent activities.
This case also raises broader questions about the legal profession’s accountability for financial misdeeds. Bilmes’ actions, while egregious, are not the first instance of a solicitor engaging in fraudulent activities.
Past cases in the UK have exposed similar offenses, drawing attention to the need for a more robust and comprehensive system for ensuring accountability within the legal profession.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority compensation fund, as of January last year, had received claims from 52 clients totaling £3.9 million. The regulator had disbursed payments to 30 of those claimants, amounting to £2.65 million.
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