Barbados Lawyer Hilary Jeffery Nelson Jailed for Over Six Years in BDS$855,000 Theft Case

Barbados: Hilary Jeffery Nelson, an 82 year-old lawyer from Barbados, has been sentenced to serve over six years in prison after being convicted of misappropriating funds entrusted to him by a customer for the acquisition of a property.

Nelson was sentenced to prison on Thursday, November 5, at the No. 5 Supreme Court by Justice Pamela Beckles. This case is related to £347,560 that was paid by Errol Hewitt from London for buying his property at Battaleys Mews, St Peter, between November 2018 and March 2019.

Hewitt told the court that after handing the money to Nelson, he was left without the property and his money. He eventually had to take out a second mortgage to pay for the property.

The court ordered Nelson to repay the full BDS$855,000 within 12 months. Failure to do so will result in an additional two years being added to his prison term.

Justice Beckles justified the sentence, while highlighting the breach of trust involved in the case. She explained that Nelson had exploited his position as a legal professional to handle the client’s funds. She further noted that such behavior not only undermines people’s confidence in the legal profession but can also damage Barbados’ reputation.

Nelson had initially denied the charge and faced a jury trial. However, in May, following an unsworn statement in court, he asked to change his plea and admitted guilt.

In his explanation before the court, Nelson said that he was planning to repay the money and blamed other people involved in the property transaction

This case adds to a list of prosecutions against lawyers for stealing their clients’ funds in Barbados, with Nelson being the third lawyer imprisoned in the last three years for this offence.