A law firm worker who stole charity donations from the estates of deadpeople in a £634,000 fraud has been jailed for four years.
Laurna Porter, 68, plundered the estates of the deceased over the course of 13 years when she was put in charge of administering their wills as a probate manager.
While at two different firms of solicitors, she took money intended for charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Cancer Research, the Crown Prosecution Service said, and enlisted her friend Julie Atkins, also 68, to help with the fraud.
Porter stole money from 23 different estates between 2006 and 2018,writing cheques out to Atkins and often disguising fraudulent payments as gifts or settlements of debts.
She deliberately targeted the estates of deceased who had no close family,to avoid awkward questions about missing money.
At Woverhampton crown court, Porter was jailed for four years after admitting fraud by abuse of position and money laundering. Atkins admitted money laundering and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
“This was a calculated fraud over a period of 13 years, which generated a significant amount of money”, said specialist CPS prosecutor Anamarie Coomansingh.
“Laurna Porter breached her legal duties as a probate manager and abusedher position of trust in taking funds from life-saving charities, as well asfrom families of the deceased.
“It must have been particularly distressing for the families and friends, whosimply wanted to see their loved one’s last wishes properly executed.”
The fraud was uncovered when Porter switched law firms and a suspicious payment of £5,000 to Atkins was identified.
A full investigation revealed cheques had been made out to Atkins, with money then being transferred back to Porter.
The CPS said animal charities, hospices, and friends and family of the deceased all missed out thanks to the actions of the defendants, who are both from Tamworth in the West Midlands.
After the guilty pleas, Glaisyers Solicitors in Tamworth issued a statement to say Porter was sacked in 2018 when the fraud was uncovered.
She had worked on a “small number of the files”, the firm said, and there was no evidence of wrongdoing by any other staff members.
“The vast majority of affected files involving Laurna Porter’s inappropriate behaviour were whilst she was working at Dewes Sketchley Solicitors, another legal firm in Tamworth, where she worked for nearly 10 years”, it added.
“She was only with Glaisyers for just over one year before the issues werediscovered and she was summarily dismissed by this firm.”
Money has already been paid back by Porter, while the CPS has vowed to go after her assets to seize back more of the funds.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a notice that Porter - who is not a qualified lawyer - cannot be hired by any law firms in the future.
