Kim Blackberry sentenced to two years in prison after stealing $250,000 from clients

A conveyancer who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients across Melbourne in a scam spanning six years has finally been sentenced for his crimes. But his dodgy dealings were only found when one victim — a retired solicitor — became suspicious.

A crooked conveyancer who pocketed almost $250,000 of his clients’ cash has been sentenced to two years behind bars for his dodgy dealings.

Kim Blackberry, 59, stole all or some of the cash paid to him by clients for stamp duty transactions in 13 property purchases between 2002 and 2008.

The offences related to properties in Kew, Prahran, Camberwell, Malvern East, Drysdale, Broadmeadows and St Leonards, with some victims robbed of tens of thousands of dollars.

He lodged false documents with the State Revenue Office and forged his clients’ signatures to pull off the con.

And his scam, which reaped $246,166 before he was busted, only came undone when one of his clients, himself a retired solicitor, became suspicious of Blackberry’s dealings.

Victoria Police began its investigation in 2009 and Blackberry was arrested last year before being released on bail.

Justice Lex Lasry of the Victorian Supreme Court noted in his sentencing remarks that Blackberry had attempted to pay the money back, but $133,826 was still outstanding and payments his payments had ceased due to his inability to find full-time employment.

Victims expressed “shock, horror and disbelief” after being made aware of Blackberry’s offending, he said, and he told Blackberry his career as a lawyer was “finished”.

“The result of your actions is that your career as a lawyer is finished,” he said.

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“I made orders resulting in your name being removed from the roll of legal practitioners.

“Those lawyers tempted to try to gain for themselves financially by breaching the trust placed in them by their clients need to understand that the punishment they will face when their crimes are discovered will be significant.”

Blackberry must serve a minimum of 16 months in prison before becoming eligible for parole.

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