Seven years for Leeds solicitor who stole £1.4m to fund Ferrari lifestyle

A LEEDS solicitor who stole £1.4 million to fund a luxury lifestyle was jailed for seven years today by a judge who said he was "motivated by greed".

Simon Morgan, 50, and his wife Ann, who was the office manager at Milners in Leeds, plundered the firm's own accounts and client accounts for two-and-a-half years to finance their spending sprees.

They used company money to pay for expensive family holidays abroad, flights by private jet and putting a deposit on a Ferrari.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A jury at Leeds Crown Court found Morgan guilty of six counts of theft a fortnight ago.

Today, Judge James Goss QC told him: "These offences in their totality represent a persistent and entirely selfish betrayal of trust of your fellow partners and your staff, as well as clients of Milners."

He added: "These were offences motivated by greed."

Mrs Morgan was deemed unfit to stand trial and will be dealt with at a later date.

Judge Goss said Morgan's punishment needed to reflect the damage such cases could do a profession which relied on "trust and honesty".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said the couple used a "web of lies" within the office to continue their offending.

At one stage they told colleagues that expensive trips were for non-existent cancer treatment for Mrs Morgan.

The jury was told company cheques paid off the couple's numerous credit card bills run up for hotels, designer clothes, and meals at their favourite restaurants including Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire.

The partners were told Mrs Morgan had qualifications as a solicitor and an accountant, but she had neither.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They agreed she would act as office manager, taking charge of the accounting, but would draw no salary as she had private means.

The court was told she not only drew a substantial salary, but "took huge amounts of the firm's money as well".

Police said after the case that the couple were legitimately paid 10,000 a month for their work at the firm.

But, they said, they were also spending 10,000 a week taken from Milners and clients.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The jury heard examples of the pair's extravagant lifestyle on stolen funds. It included a family holiday for five to Antigua in 2003, costing more than 20,000.

Later the same year they funded a skiing holiday for six in the Alpine resort of Courchevel, including a flight to France by private jet from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Morgan and his wife also paid for a private flight to Inverness for a weekend in Scotland.

Morgan, of Main Street, Bilbrough, near York, denied six charges of theft between January 2002 and July 2004.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Simon Myerson QC, defending, told the judge all the money had now been repaid.

Morgan showed no emotion as he was jailed at Bradford Crown Court watched by a number of partners from Milners from the public gallery.

Mrs Morgan, 55, was found to be unfit to stand trial for psychiatric reasons, but the jury at Leeds Crown Court decided she "did the acts" charged with her husband after three days of deliberations.

Today, Judge Goss heard she is continuing to suffer from a "malignant narcissistic preoccupation".

He adjourned her case to a date to be fixed so more inquiries can take place.

Related topics: