Solicitor jailed for failure to report money laundering

A solicitor has been jailed for the first time for failing to report suspicion of money laundering, sending out a warning to all lawyers to be vigilant of clients' dealings.

Jonathan Duff, formerly a senior partner at Chester-based Drummonds, was sentenced to six months under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 after his clients were found to be laundering drug money.

The charge followed the 1998 discovery of 5 million worth of cocaine in suitcases belonging to a client of Mr Duff.

Despite pleading guilty following plea bargaining with Customs & Excise, Mr Duff maintains he broke the law unwittingly.

However, passing sentence this month at Manchester Crown Court, Judge James Hammond said Law Society guidance on reporting suspicions was clear and 'a message must go out to all solicitors'.

Mr Duff's solicitor, Ian Cooper, a partner at Manchester-based Cooper Kenyon Burrows, said an appeal had been lodged and a response expected 'in the next few days'.

He said he doubted Mr Duff had 'a future as a lawyer' and added: 'When the Proceeds of Crime Bill goes through [it should receive its Royal Assent this week], money laundering will apply to the proceeds of any crime.

The implications for the profession will be widespread.'

The Law Society said Mr Duff's case had been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Drummonds has been disposed of and reformed under the same name but is now exclusively a conveyancing firm.

Meanwhile, Adrian Jackman, a consultant at Northampton firm Turner Coulston and a former Northamptonshire Law Society president, was jailed for six years this week at Basildon Crown Court for stealing from clients and creating fake clients to obtain nearly 2 million.

He pleaded guilty to 18 charges of theft involving 725,209 and 16 charges of obtaining 1.2 million by deception.

Also, the Serious Fraud Office's annual report revealed this week that three out of 11 fraud cases over the past year featured solicitors, but none was convicted.

Only two of 32 current proceedings involve solicitors.

Andrew Towler