An ex-solicitor who deceived clients and swindled money from them has been jailed.

Christopher Bilmes stole more than £1.7 million over a three-year period from those who had trusted him as their solicitor.

The 45-year-old, from Five Ashes, near Uckfield, provided conveyancing, family and matrimonial services and was the head partner of his own legal firm, based at Groombridge.

Bilmes used money which should have been used to pay off mortgages and covered it up with fake bank documents.

He was initially investigated by the solicitors regulation authority (SRA), and then by Sussex Police’s economic crime unit.

The Argus: Christopher Bilmes has been jailed Christopher Bilmes has been jailed (Image: Sussex Police)

In January he admitted seven charges before Hove Crown Court, which included five counts of fraud by abuse of position, and two counts of fraud by false representation.

On April 6, Bilmes was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.

The former solicitor, a father of two, was using his clients money to fly himself around the world, the court heard.

Fraud investigators found his firm, described as “chaotic”, owed money to more than 50 clients.

The firm had a total cash shortage of more than £1.7 million. So far, the SRA has paid compensation to 30 clients totalling £2,657,989.50.

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Bilmes, whose wife divorced him after he was struck off, used money held by his firm from conveyancing work to pay other debts and cover his expenses as he flew around the world promoting his Swallows and Daggers clothing and tattoo business.

He started working in a burlesque club after being struck off.

A judge at Hove jailed him for a total of 56 months after details of his fraud were revealed by former workers at the failed firm.

The court heard how the crimes were committed between October 2014 and November 2017 when the SRA scrutinised his dealings in connection with a £400,000 mortgage.

A number of victims then came forward to support the police investigation.

Officers also found he had put pressure on clients to take high interest loans which left them in serious financial difficulty when his legal firm was investigated and closed down.

Detective Sergeant Andy Hobden of the Sussex and Surrey economic crime unit said: “This was a long and protracted investigation which uncovered a pattern of offending perpetrated by Bilmes against his clients.

“When you seek the assistance of a solicitor for any legal matter, you place your unreserved trust in that solicitor. Christopher Bilmes took full advantage of that trust.

“I would like to thank the patience and belief the victims showed us over the last five years whilst this investigation came to a conclusion.

“They should have been able to trust Bilmes with their money, emotions and wellbeing, knowing he would do his best by them. But Bilmes breached that trust.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the case, which demonstrates that Sussex Police will fully investigate matters such as this and do our best to protect victims from those who use their position and place of power to prey upon them.”