Court hears lawyer’s alleged fraud was motivated by debts

A Brisbane lawyer is on trial accused of fraudulently taking dozens of cash payments from clients and overseeing the fabrication of documents including invoices.

High profile lawyer Michael Bosscher leaving court. Picture: Liam Kidston

A Brisbane lawyer has pleaded not guilty to allegations he fraudulently took dozens of cash payments from clients and oversaw the fabrication of documents including invoices, a court has heard.

Michael Frederick Bosscher, 54, is charged with eight counts of fraudulently producing records and one charge of fraud over allegations he oversaw an arrangement in which 81 cash transactions were fraudulently received while he was the head of Bosscher Lawyers Pty Ltd.

It was alleged that between November 2011 and September 2016 various cash sums paid by clients were withheld from the account of Bosscher Lawyers Pty Ltd.

Bosscher has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has chosen to defend himself in the trial, which is expected to last about four weeks.

A jury empanelled on Monday heard that during the trial it will hear from more than 70 witnesses over the coming weeks, including a string of Bosscher’s former clients and colleagues including Timothy Meehan, Alex Jones and Thomas Strofield.

In his opening address to the jury, Crown Prosecutor Greg Cummings alleged Bosscher’s criminal offending was motivated by debts he incurred while he was partner in a previous law firm Ryan and Bosscher, alongside Meehan, prior to starting his own firm, Bosscher Lawyers Pty Ltd.

“Mr Meehan will say that he worked with Mr Bosscher for quite a number of years at Ryan and Bosscher,” he said.

“The trouble was that Ryan (and) Bosscher came into financial difficulties, and ultimately to pay its debts, ceased trade.

“It was inevitable because of the debts of Ryan and Bosscher… that Mr Bosscher and Mr Meehan would become bankrupt and it was arranged between them that they would stave off their bankruptcy.”

Mr Cummings claimed Bosscher concocted an agreement with Mr Meehan to hide any additional cash injections that would see their annual salaries exceed $70,000.

“Mr Bosscher, whilst he was bankrupt, was effectively limited to a gross income of $70,000 a year,” he said.

“Mr Meehan was subject to the same and any amount ended up above that $70,000 a year would be available to creditors … because they had not been paid.

“So it was with that sage knowledge and with those intentions that this money was withheld on these, most of these, 81 transactions.”

The trial before Judge Leanne Clare SC continues.