High-profile lawyer denies allegations were ‘act of revenge’

Disgraced ex-lawyer Tim Meehan has denied he was seeking revenge for “humiliation” when he accused his boss and colleagues of being involved in his fraudulent scheme.

A FORMER lawyer jailed for defrauding his firm has denied that he accused his boss and colleagues of involvement in the scheme as an act of revenge.

Disgraced ex-lawyer Tim Meehan yesterday faced a fiery cross examination in the Brisbane Magistrates Court at the committal hearing of his former boss, solicitor Michael Bosscher and law firm colleagues Alexander Ralston Jones and Thomas William Strofield.

The trio are accused of involvement in a cash payment scheme which Meehan has already been jailed for. He was released from prison in January and has accused his former colleagues of being involved. They are yet to enter pleas.

Tim Meehan.

But Bosscher’s defence barrister Damian Walsh yesterday questioned Meehan about his motive for accusing the trio, asking if he had made allegations about them to the Crime and Corruption Commission as “revenge”.

A recording from August 16, 2016 of the moment Bosscher confronted Meehan about stealing from the firm was played to the court.

“Mate we’ve talked about having difficult conversations before … this is going to be the most difficult one I’ve ever had,” Bosscher tells Meehan in the recording.

“You’ve been stealing from us.

“I’m heartbroken.”

Meehan apologises to his boss, telling him “I’m very sorry”, but doesn’t deny the fraud or accuse anyone else of involvement.

The court heard in the days following his sacking, Meehan discussed ways to repay the firm and tried to negotiate further work and mitigate what Bosscher would tell the Queensland Law Society about his crimes.

But Mr Walsh alleged that things soured when The Courier-Mail published a front-page story revealing Meehan’s alleged crimes and his affair with his then law clerk Xanthe Larcombe-Weate on September 7, 2016.

“Was this all about revenge on Mr Bosscher for humiliating you and your girlfriend in The Courier-Mail,” Mr Walsh asked.

“No,” Meehan replied.

Michael Bosscher at the Brisbane Magistrates Court this month. Picture: John Gass/AAP

“Well up to that point you were proceeding in a way which was designed to extricate you from the problem by settling the matter with Mr Bosscher, correct?,” Mr Walsh asked.

“Yes,” Meehan responded.

“The newspaper article appeared, you changed tack completely, correct. Well I’ll put it this way, instead of continuing the process to negotiate a position for you, you attended at the Queensland Law Society and you wanted to tell a story about Mr Bosscher, correct?,” the barrister asked.

“Yes,” Meehan responded.

“And then you went to the CCC to tell a story about Mr Bosscher,” Mr Walsh asked.

“Yes,” Meehan said.

Meehan agreed under questioning from Mr Walsh that he wanted to see his former boss jailed.

“And you’re saying this is not a matter of revenge that had something to do with these newspaper articles,” Mr Walsh asked.

“That’s right,” Meehan said.

The hearing continues.

Originally published as High-profile lawyer denies allegations were ‘act of revenge’