Man is jailed after posing as a barrister

Christopher McDonnell, 34, took £590 off the woman and told her he was going to use the money to bribe a judge.

After being told McDonnell was a qualified barrister, the woman sought advice following the death of her mother in December 2014. She was seeking legal advice about possible medical negligence.

Judge Patricia Smyth said the woman “suffered a financial loss that she could ill afford”, and has since sought assistance from her GP on how to cope with the emotional impact.

Belfast Crown Court heard McDonnell, from Limewood in Banbridge, first met the woman after he rented an office in a church in Carrickfergus, which he then turned into a gym.

His offending began at a time when he was trying to keep the business afloat, and he started “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

Barrister Joel Lindsay said it was never McDonnell’s intention at the outset for things to go as far as they did, but “the mud got thicker for him” as the scam became “more sophisticated”.

The barrister concluded: “He was trying to make money to get out of a hole but he only got into a bigger hole”.

Sentencing McDonnell, Judge Smyth said she accepted the offences were committed against a backdrop of his own marital difficulties and “mounting debts”.

McDonnell will spend eight months in prison, followed by eight months in licence.