Fraudster Christopher Bilmes, 45, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for defrauding clients and taking payment for legal services. Bilmes, who was the head partner of his own legal firm in Groombridge, East Sussex, provided conveyancing, general litigate, family and matrimonial services, and stole over £1.7 million from his clients over a three-year period. The clients who trusted him as their solicitor found they were unable to have their mortgages redeemed after he took their money.
Initially investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and later by Sussex Police’s Economic Crime Unit, Bilmes admitted to seven charges, including five counts of fraud by abuse of position, and two counts of fraud by false representation. The crimes were committed between October 2014 and November 2017, and a number of victims came forward to support the police investigation.
In addition to defrauding his clients, Bilmes also put pressure on them to take high-interest loans, which left them in financial difficulty when his legal firm was investigated and closed down. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has paid out more than £2.7 million in compensation to victims.
Detective Sergeant Andy Hobden of the Sussex and Surrey Economic Crime Unit said, “Christopher Bilmes took full advantage of the trust his clients placed in him. They should have been able to trust Bilmes with their money, emotions and wellbeing, knowing he would do his best by them. But Bilmes breached that trust.” The case demonstrates that Sussex Police will fully investigate matters such as this and do their best to protect victims from those who use their position and place of power to prey upon them.
