CLIENTS ROBBED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23827, 30 November 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

CLIENTS ROBBED

Solicitors Pay the For "Dipping Hard" ONE after another two solicitors, each convicted of converting his clients' money, entered and left the dock at the Old Bailey, London, to serve periods of; penal servitude. i

T HEIR names and the sentences they received are : —Cecil Charles ' Reeve, aged 34, formerly of Southend —three years —and Henry Dollman, aged 66, of Ealing—four years. Reeve faced Mr. Justice Hallett wearing battle diess, while Dollman appeared in the familiar morning dress and white collar of the legal profession. "Hard Struggle"

He had helped his motherji: who was now dead, and two of his children were ill for months. .Reeve continued,'to practise on his own account until ho joined the Royal Engineers. Mr. Justice Hallett told him: "The existence of temptation does not excuse failure to maintain a trust. You" had warning in the case of your own principal, who paid the penalty." Dollman pleaded guilty to three--' counts. He was said to have admitted converting £2-100. The real total it was believed, would amount to between £6OOO and £7OOO.

Mr. Gerald Thesiger, prosecuting in the case of Reeve, said Reeve, who had practised at King's Road, South Benfleet, pleaded guilty to converting £304, and £4Bl. Part of the money related to the estate of Miss Winifred White, a schoolteacher, who died in August, 1934 When pressed to make payments he handed over two cheques which were dishonoured. It was declared that Reeve was formerly employed by a Southend solicitor, who was sentenced to five years' penal servitude for fiaud in IJ3/. Mr A. S. Diamond, defending, pleaded that Reeve, a married man with three children, had had a hard struggle. When he tried to set up business on his own after his employer was convicted lie had no means, and he suffered from a, serious defect of speech.

"It was stated that Dollman was liy. ing apart from his wife. He had been a hardworking and clever solicitor with a first-class practice. This he purchased for £2BOO in 1919. His downfall was duo to loss of business, association with young women, and racing.

"Last Dying Years"

Defending counsel pleaded that Dollman's practice w.ls going down, and h 0 evidently found himself in a difficulty. It was a case of taking from Peter to pay Paul. 'Mil his last dying years I ask f or mercy," added counsel. Mr. Justice Hallett, passing sentence said he was dealing with only three charges. It was clear that during three years, on three separate occasions. Dollman had dipped hard into his clients' trust funds.