Jailed for four years
A former solicitor who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from clients over nearly two decades has been jailed.
Sean Callaghan diverted more than £350,000 from client accounts while working at Essex law firms BMTK and Palmers between 2003 and 2020.
The 64-year-old repeatedly altered payment details to move funds into accounts he controlled, inflated client fees for his own gain, and falsified invoices, according to Essex Police.
In one instance in 2008, while administering the estate of a deceased woman, Callaghan underreported the sums owed to beneficiaries and pocketed more than £20,000 from her estate — transferring the money to one of his business accounts just days after paying her family.
Police said the stolen money was used to fund home renovations, buy a classic car and replacement parts, and purchase property abroad.
Callaghan, from Rayleigh, Essex, continued his fraudulent conduct after joining a new firm in 2019, but his scheme unravelled when colleagues discovered false invoices and alerted police.
Investigators later identified more than a dozen victims and estimated total losses of £396,228.77.
He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on 5 July to 17 counts of fraud and two counts of theft, and was sentenced at the same court on 3 October to four years’ imprisonment.
Callaghan had already been struck off the roll in June 2022 after admitting to dishonestly misappropriating client funds.
A spokesperson for BTMK said the firm “took immediate action” once concerns were raised and has set aside funds to reimburse affected clients, adding that it co-operated extensively with the SRA and Essex Police throughout the investigation.
Meanwhile, Palmers said Callaghan joined the firm in 2019 “cloaked in the reputation of being a trusted adviser” but that its internal checks quickly uncovered his “attempted and fraudulent activities.” The firm said it dismissed Callaghan, alerted BMTK and the authorities, and thanked its staff whose diligence “ultimately led to this result.”
