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Lawyer admits cover-up
Tasmanian Murcury
By DANNY ROSE
04jul01
A FORMER Tasmanian policeman turned lawyer yesterday admitted stealing $100,000 in a cover-up that was doomed to fail, the Supreme Court heard yesterday.
Ian Robert McDonald, 49, lost almost $100,000 for a client after investing the money in a West Australian gold mining venture that failed.
But rather than tell the client of the loss, McDonald took $100,000 from a deceased estate.
Crown prosecutor Tim Ellis told the court in Burnie McDonald then forged supporting documents and lied to the family of the deceased.
"The accused had hidden this chain of transactions," Mr Ellis said.
The court heard McDonald, of Ulverstone, was a member of Tasmania Police for nine years to 1986, with postings including the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the fraud squad.
He resigned to study law full-time, graduated in 1989 and practised mainly in the North-West up until early 2000.
Defence counsel Greg Richardson said McDonald had his name struck off the lawyers' roll after the Law Society began steps to do so.
Mr Richardson also said his client had a brain aneurism removed in 1997, after years of misdiagnosis for chronic headaches.
"He had intense headaches to the extent that he would lose consciousness," Mr Richardson said.
"But his post-surgical problems were greater."
Mr Richardson said McDonald then suffered from radically reduced short-term memory, loss of sight and depression.
He said McDonald's professional and home life became "a shambles".
It was in this environment that he made an "appalling decision".
"He was unable to function as a legal practitioner," Mr Richardson said.
He said the cover-up was pathetic and doomed to fail, and indicated
McDonald's mental inability to cope.
Mr Richardson said McDonald had wrongly felt sorry for the investor.
"This money was not stolen to fund gambling or play the land market," Mr Richardson said. "There is no question of personal gain."
McDonald will be sentenced today.
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We are the Police! Resistance is Futile!
Tasmanian Murcury
By DANNY ROSE
04jul01
A FORMER Tasmanian policeman turned lawyer yesterday admitted stealing $100,000 in a cover-up that was doomed to fail, the Supreme Court heard yesterday.
Ian Robert McDonald, 49, lost almost $100,000 for a client after investing the money in a West Australian gold mining venture that failed.
But rather than tell the client of the loss, McDonald took $100,000 from a deceased estate.
Crown prosecutor Tim Ellis told the court in Burnie McDonald then forged supporting documents and lied to the family of the deceased.
"The accused had hidden this chain of transactions," Mr Ellis said.
The court heard McDonald, of Ulverstone, was a member of Tasmania Police for nine years to 1986, with postings including the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the fraud squad.
He resigned to study law full-time, graduated in 1989 and practised mainly in the North-West up until early 2000.
Defence counsel Greg Richardson said McDonald had his name struck off the lawyers' roll after the Law Society began steps to do so.
Mr Richardson also said his client had a brain aneurism removed in 1997, after years of misdiagnosis for chronic headaches.
"He had intense headaches to the extent that he would lose consciousness," Mr Richardson said.
"But his post-surgical problems were greater."
Mr Richardson said McDonald then suffered from radically reduced short-term memory, loss of sight and depression.
He said McDonald's professional and home life became "a shambles".
It was in this environment that he made an "appalling decision".
"He was unable to function as a legal practitioner," Mr Richardson said.
He said the cover-up was pathetic and doomed to fail, and indicated
McDonald's mental inability to cope.
Mr Richardson said McDonald had wrongly felt sorry for the investor.
"This money was not stolen to fund gambling or play the land market," Mr Richardson said. "There is no question of personal gain."
McDonald will be sentenced today.
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We are the Police! Resistance is Futile!
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