Ex-lawyer jailed for £20,000 Glasgow parcel firm fraud

A former lawyer who stole £20,000 from clients and contributed to a firm going bust has been jailed for eight months.

David Nightingale, 35, tricked customers of Prompt Parcel Ltd into paying invoices into his bank account when he worked there as a salesman.

The company later folded following events which were partly blamed on the embezzlement.

Nightingale, from Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, was previously convicted of defrauding clients at a law firm.

He appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he admitted embezzling £19, 618 between April and December 2015 at the company based in Glasgow's Washington Street.

The scheme was revealed when a colleague queried an unpaid invoice and it led back to the former lawyer.

Sheriff Kenneth Hogg said: "It's a tragedy for you, it's a tragedy for a lot of other people."

He said it was "not a likely option" that money will be repaid and said there was "no option" but to jail him.

The court heard that in December 2015, an employee contacted a client of the company about services that had not been paid for.

Fiscal depute Chris Farrell said: "When speaking to the company director the witness was assured that the monies had been paid and provided banking details to vouch for same.

"Following this an internal investigation was convened and it was noticed that a number of payments from clients had been paid directly into the personal bank account of the accused."

Nightingale was contacted by text and admitted what he had done.

Mr Farrell said: "The accused admitted that he was suffering from a gambling addiction."

Prompt Parcel Ltd has subsequently gone in to liquidation.

"The Crown understands that's partly due to the actions of the accused", Mr Farrell told the court.

Defence lawyer Elaine Rae said Nightingale is still repaying a £7,000 compensation order imposed at another court for his earlier crimes.

The solicitor said her client had "racked up an incredible amount of debt through gambling".

She told the court Nightingale - who appeared from custody - was sentenced to 31 weeks at Hamilton Sheriff court last week for an earlier crime.

Nightingale voluntarily removed himself from the Scottish roll of solicitors when the offences came to light and the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) has banned him from ever returning to the profession.

In 2014 at Hamilton Sheriff Court, he admitted defrauding clients of £12,500 while working as a criminal defence lawyer at McAfee solicitors in Airdrie between September 2011 and December 2012.

He was ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work and pay £7,000 to his victims.