A “cold and callous” lawyer who stole almost $500,000 from clients was yesterday sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

Tyrone Quinn, 37, was found guilty in November of three counts of theft by a unanimous verdict after a jury found that he had taken a total of $483,000 from compensation payments to three of his clients.

While Quinn maintained that he fully intended to repay his victims; the court heard that none of the stolen funds had been returned.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe said Quinn had exploited the good nature and close relationship he had with one of the victims and had taken advantage of a senior.

“He did so at a time when the victims were experiencing excruciating physical pain and mental anguish,” the judge said.

In addition to a 15-year prison sentence, Mr Justice Wolffe ordered a confiscation inquiry under the Proceeds of Crime Act to determine what assets could be seized to offer compensation to the victims.

“This is a sad, sad case,” he added. “You have individuals who underwent insurmountable pain as a result of an accident and that pain continued unabated through the actions of the defendant.

“The fact that they are still having to go through the pain, needing the money that is rightfully owed to them for surgery needed to remedy the pain is unconscionable.”

Mr Justice Wolffe said written reasons for the sentence would be handed down in due course.

During Quinn’s trial, the court heard that between May 2020 and February 2021, he received awards on behalf of three clients in separate legal matters.

Of the three clients, two received a small portion of their award, while the third received nothing.

Quinn acknowledged in court that he had received the funds for the clients but said he had no intention of permanently depriving them of the money.

He told the court he had been approached by two men in 2019 over a “problem” related to an illegal business transaction and that they had demanded compensation.

Quinn said he did not know the men or their “problem” but he complied with their demands after they threatened him and his family, paying them thousands of dollars and making a range of payments on their behalf.

The defendant acknowledged that he had also used the funds to make payments unrelated to the threats or the clients but maintained that he had always intended to give his clients what they were owed.

At a sentencing hearing last month, Alan Richards, for the Crown, said Quinn had “robbed Peter to pay Paul”, noting that he had admitted using some of the complainants’ awards to pay other clients.

He added that while Quinn had claimed he paid much of the funds to “unscrupulous individuals” who had threatened him, the quick and unanimous verdict suggested that the defence was rejected by the jury.

Mr Richards said that because the conviction covered three separate incidents involving different complainants, the court should order all sentences to run consecutively, suggesting a total sentence of 17½ years behind bars.

Mr Richards also expressed doubt about Quinn’s ability to repay the complainants, given that he had not yet done so, and suggested that the court ordered a confiscation inquiry to determine how the complainants could best be reimbursed.

Quinn maintained his claim that he had acted under duress after he was threatened by people who he declined to name or describe. He said that he was still concerned for his family’s safety and described himself as a victim.

“I would not have done these acts if it were not for the pressure I was put under,” he said.

Quinn argued that jurors were told he could be convicted if they found he had stolen a portion of the money, which meant his conviction did not mean that the jury rejected his duress defence for a portion of the funds.

He said that if there was any dispute as to what the jury had found, the courts should lean towards the version that was more favourable to the defendant.

Quinn also said last month that he intended to fully reimburse all three defendants and believed he would be able to repay two within two weeks.

However, at yesterday’s hearing, the court heard that “not a dime” of the stolen funds had been repaid.

Quinn handed the court an envelope, which the Crown said appeared to contain affidavits promising payments to the victims.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding court cases. As we are legally liable for any libellous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers