20 months for fraud
A high street paralegal has been jailed after using an erasable pen and her law firm’s power of attorney to steal more than £11,500 from vulnerable clients in residential care.
Emma Charlotte Amey was working in the wills and probate department of a law firm in Poole between October 2021 and October 2023 when the offending took place. As part of her role, she managed accounts for clients for whom the firm held power of attorney, using chequebooks and debit cards to pay expenses on their behalf.
An investigation began in February 2024 after a bank returned a potentially fraudulent cheque to Amey’s firm. The corresponding stub showed a payment to a care provider — but the cheque itself had been made out to Amey for £3,400.
Amey later admitted that after cheques had been signed by another employee at the firm, she had used an erasable pen to alter the payee’s name to her own. The paralegal also confessed to withdrawing cash and making online purchases using the clients’ debit cards.
In total, Amey stole £11,568 from two clients living in residential homes.
She had previously pleaded guilty two counts of fraud by abuse of position at Poole Magistrates’ Court earlier this year. She has now been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 20 months’ imprisonment.
During sentencing, the judge described her actions as “despicable and contrived”.
Lucy Hale, detective constable of Dorset Police, said:
“Emma Amey was entrusted with looking after the day-to-day finances of vulnerable [clients] and she abused her position for personal gain, making deliberate attempts to avoid detection. This type of crime has the potential to impact the public’s confidence in the power of attorney scheme.”
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