That is a fairly substantial sum of money and a very male Australian defence. It was my wife’s fault
Australian Lawyers Weekly reports….
A principal lawyer has copped a substantial prison term after he was caught stealing $1.7 million worth of clients’ cash to fund a lavish lifestyle.
John Kotsifas, owner of the Northcote firm J Kotsifas & Associate Lawyers, was last week sentenced by the Supreme Court to six years’ imprisonment after earlier pleading guilty to theft and causing deficiencies in clients’ trust accounts.
The offences related to transactions ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars each between January 2013 and October 2015.
According to court documents, the cash was splashed on multimillion-dollar homes in Balwyn, pricey renovations and a golf club membership.
He also used the money to service ballooning credit card debts and out-of-control loan repayments for his luxury Porsche, the court heard.
Mr Kotsifas’ lawyer told the court he’d felt pressured by his wife to provide a luxurious lifestyle beyond his means.
