Solicitor extradited to stand trial

A FORMER Derbyshire solicitor was extradited from Ireland to the UK to face charges of abusing clients' funds and obtaining a house by deception.

Peter John Gallagher changed his name from John Laurence Tym when he moved in 1989 to live near Dublin.

He was arrested and sent before the local District Court in Trim, Co Meath, on 20 extradition warrants alleging he abused his trust as a solicitor and obtained a house using a false name.

The court heard how Gallagher, practising as John Laurence Tym of Tym & Co, Dronfield, Derbyshire, got money from building societies to buy houses for clients. He allegedly put it in his firm's bank account and failed to complete the purchase of the houses.

It is claimed Tym abused client funds when he bought property using the name Robin Dixon between 1987 and 1989.

The court heard the Law Society ordered an investigation into Tym's practice. He was expelled and shortly afterwards disappeared to the Irish Republic.

It heard that on a sample of 11 files the society had to pay out u220,000 to cover losses suffered by Tym's clients.

Tym claimed he had changed his name to Peter John Gallagher to avoid payments to his ex-wife. But acting detective sergeant Gary Lunn of Derbyshire Constabulary revealed that a friend of Tym's who died in early 1989 was named Peter John Gallagher.

The pair had set up a bank account in Dublin, he said.

During the court hearing, Tym withdrew his objection to extradition. He was handed over to police from Derbyshire and flown to Birmingham, where he is expected to stand trial.