Donegal solicitor admits dishonesty and professional misconduct

A Co Donegal solicitor who admitted dishonesty and professional misconduct has been struck off the roll of solicitors by the president of the High Court.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly was told it is “very uncertain” at this stage whether the Law Society’s compensation fund will have to reimburse clients of Moya O’Donnell’s practice.
The court heard that if all claims are paid out, there could be a deficit of some €450,000.
Mr Justice Kelly said, given the dishonesty involved, the Law Society and SDT had no choice but to seek a strike off order.
The SDT hearing heard that a Law Society investigation found Ms O’Donnell diverted substantial client funds into her personal bank accounts, that there was evidence of “teeming and ladling”, including permitting multiple deficits on the client account from January 2011 to September 2017 and there were attempts to conceal the deficit by using false entries.
According to the Irish Times, Ms O’Donnell had been suspended from practicing by the court and her firm in Killybegs and Glenties has closed.
Her solicitor, Sean Sexton, said she was admitting the allegations and misconduct while accepting she was “going to face the ultimate sanction” of being struck off but intended to make every effort to reimburse any shortfall on her client account.
The SDT heard her husband who died before Christmas 2017 had no prior knowledge or involvement in his wife’s actions and that a medical report showed Ms O’Donnell to be extremely vulnerable.