A LAUNCESTON lawyer found guilty by jury of four thefts from his former employer has been handed a suspended sentence. Newnham man Adrian John Hall, 39, faced the Launceston Supreme Court for sentencing today. Justice Stephen Estcourt, via video link from Hobart Supreme Court, said that although the jury's findings of guilt related to an amount of $10,700, he had determined that Hall had stolen only $2600. He said of the alleged amount of $9000 cash in relation to the Fulton case in count one, $8100 was eventually paid into the trust account of Grant Tucker Barrister and Solicitor in Launceston, and only $900 was not accounted for. Justice Estcourt said Hall had displayed a "sense of entitlement" in believing that he could take money from clients without putting it into his former employer's trust account. He jailed Hall for four months, wholly suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 210 hours of community service and ordered him to pay compensation to Mr Tucker. Hall's offending occurred between August 2010 and July 2012, when he pocketed cash payments from clients, while he worked for Mr Tucker. The Law Society of Tasmania moved swiftly to suspend Hall's practising certificate after the jury's findings of guilt, until June 30, 2015. Hall has the option to appeal against his conviction, sentence and suspension of his practising certificate.
A LAUNCESTON lawyer found guilty by jury of four thefts from his former employer has been handed a suspended sentence.
Newnham man Adrian John Hall, 39, faced the Launceston Supreme Court for sentencing today.
Justice Stephen Estcourt, via video link from Hobart Supreme Court, said that although the jury's findings of guilt related to an amount of $10,700, he had determined that Hall had stolen only $2600.
He said of the alleged amount of $9000 cash in relation to the Fulton case in count one, $8100 was eventually paid into the trust account of Grant Tucker Barrister and Solicitor in Launceston, and only $900 was not accounted for.
Justice Estcourt said Hall had displayed a "sense of entitlement" in believing that he could take money from clients without putting it into his former employer's trust account.
He jailed Hall for four months, wholly suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 210 hours of community service and ordered him to pay compensation to Mr Tucker.
Hall's offending occurred between August 2010 and July 2012, when he pocketed cash payments from clients, while he worked for Mr Tucker.
The Law Society of Tasmania moved swiftly to suspend Hall's practising certificate after the jury's findings of guilt, until June 30, 2015.
Hall has the option to appeal against his conviction, sentence and suspension of his practising certificate.
