Lawyer jailed for fraudulently taking clients' money

In amounts ranging from $1200 to $12,000, Lance Geoffrey Rigley took a total of $80,683 from 11 client trust accounts over three-and-a-half years.

Rigley was a lawyer for 31 years including 21 in his own practice.

Now 65-years-old, Rigley did not have a criminal history.

"That tends to suggest with some confidence that he is a person who doesn't have a dishonest bone in his body," defence barrister Scott Lynch said.

Money taken from clients was used for business or living expenses, Brisbane District Court was told.

"This wasn't a fraud where he went overseas or bought race horses or gambled it away," Mr Lynch said.

"He is a person who was not driven by profit in his business.

"What he was driven by was an attitude to help others which is what he did for all the years in practice - that was something he prided himself on."

Mr Lynch said Rigley was relieved when auditors discovered his offending.

"This was a fraud that occurred in the context of his own mental health demise," he said.

In 2004 Rigley's mental health began to suffer after an employee stole money from him, the court heard.

Rigley's depression and anxiety was exacerbated by a family death in 2012 and when his marriage broke down the next year, Mr Lynch said.

In 2014 Rigley began taking money from client trust accounts.

A psychologist's report said that Rigley's mental health led to the offending, the court heard.

"He expressed the opinion that you were suffering significant anxiety and depression at the time of the offending which resulted in you engaging in the offending behaviour," Judge Amanda McDonnell said.

After a random Queensland Law Society review in October 2017, an investigation found Rigley was not handling trust funds in accordance with legislative provisions.

Rigley transferred money to his business account in identifiable patterns, withdrawing the same amount of money from a series of client trust accounts on the same day, the court heard.

"Your fraudulent use of trust money was concealed to some extent by an approach which saw your record keeping, client correspondence and engagement neglected," Judge McDonnell said.

In 2019 Rigley was declared bankrupt and no restitution had been made.

Complainants who made fidelity fund claims through the Queensland Law Society were reimbursed a total of $226,234, the court heard.

Rigley was ashamed and embarrassed by his conduct and had written a letter of apology, Mr Lynch said.

Rigley had pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and on Monday was sentenced to three years in jail, suspended after serving six months.

"Your conduct was a gross breach of trust," Judge McDonnell said.

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Australian Associated Press