A crooked solicitor who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from an elderly client with dementia has been jailed.

Stephen Acres, from Watford, was a joint executor for the affairs of an elderly woman and her relative while working as a solicitor at Stanley De Leon Solicitors in Potters Bar.

But after the relative died in 2013, he had sole control and began to take money from her bank account.

He spent more than £340,000 withdrawn between 2013 and 2016 on goods, petrol and restaurants.

Money was also transferred to his personal account and another person’s account, which was then funnelled back to Acres.

Watford Observer: He was sentenced at Huntingdon Law Court He was sentenced at Huntingdon Law Court

Huntingdon Law Court. Photo: Google

The 58-year-old was investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after he paid off a personal debt to another solicitor using a cheque belonging to the victim.

But Acres claimed the payment was made by mistake and the case was adjourned.

In May 2015 the proceeds of the sale of the victim’s house, £225,000, were transferred to an unknown account – which Acres claimed was that of a friend of the victim.

His access to the account was revoked in 2016 due to mismanagement of finances.

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The SRA concluded in 2017 that Acres defrauded the victim of a large amount of money, and he was struck off the roll of solicitors and ordered to pay costs.

Hertfordshire Constabulary then began to investigate and it was found the majority of the £225,000 sale in 2015 had been transferred back to Acres.

He admitted stealing the money and creating a false deed of variation but denied charges of stealing other monies.

The solicitor appeared at St Albans Crown Court on March 25 this year and was found guilty of 11 charges.

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At Huntingdon Law Court on May 5, he was sentenced to a total of six years, with half to be served in custody.

Detective Constable, Liz Heath said: “Stephen Acres was trusted to safeguard the finances of a vulnerable and elderly woman suffering with dementia.”

She added that he just spent the money of an elderly woman who “worked hard her whole life” and believed “he was there to do the right thing”.