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McNulty was employed as a solicitor by provincial firm of solicitors. He specialised in personal injury claims and acted for many clients, many of whom were funded by legal aid through the Legal Services Commission .
The Legal Services Commission carried out an annual audit at the firm, and this revealed discrepancies in one of McNulty's files. When this discrepancy was challenged by a senior partner of the firm, McNulty admitted that he had stolen client funds in that particular case and several others. McNulty was immediately suspended from the firm. Following an initial examination of matters handled by McNulty by the Law Society, the case was reported to the local police.
McNulty was subsequently arrested and fully co-operated with the investigation. During his interviews he admitted to stealing client monies over a period of six years. To do this he simply told his clients that their claim had been settled for less than it actually was. For example, if they won £10,000 he only passed on £5,000 to the client and stole the remaining £5,000. McNulty also made fraudulent legal aid claims to the Legal Services Commission and used a stolen County Court stamp, in order to make his claims appear bona fide.
McNulty was charged with 15 counts of theft and false accounting, with 58 further matters being taken into consideration. Two months after his arrest he pleaded guilty at the Crown Court and was sentenced to 3yrs 9mths imprisonment. His victims were fully compensated by insurance companies.
These crimes by a professional illustrate that discrepancies in amounts due to clients should be verified and challenged if necessary, even if doing so implies a lack of trust in the professional concerned.
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