Former Adelaide lawyer Mark Freer struck off from roll of practitioners after dishonesty offending

A former Adelaide lawyer who stole over $60,000 from a family member has been struck off from the roll of practitioners for his “extraordinary breaches of trust”.

Former Adelaide lawyer Mark Freer was struck off from the roll of practitioners after dishonesty offending. Picture: Matt Turner.

A former Adelaide lawyer who stole thousands of dollars from a family member and filed a false affidavit has been struck off from the roll of practitioners.

Mark Adam Freer, 52, was jailed for the offending in February which District Court Judge Paul Slattery said struck at the heart of public confidence in the legal profession.

The army veteran was working as a lawyer for the now defunct CBD law firm Warmings Solicitors in 2014-15 when he deposited two cheques totalling $67,500 on behalf of his cousin into a bank account he created, instead of the trust account of the law firm.

At trial, the court heard he withdrew all the money from the account within six weeks and spent it on expenses including credit card and rent payments, and at Coles, The Good Guys and Officeworks.

Mark Freer was jailed for over three years in February. Picture: Matt Turner.

He also filed a false affidavit with the Supreme Court in the name of his aunt.

In sentencing, Judge Slattery said Freer’s conduct involved “extraordinary breaches of trust” and he brought the legal profession into disrepute.

Freer – who served in the Australian Army for 27 years prior to becoming a lawyer – had told the court he was treated with the anti-malarial mefloquine while on active service in East Timor which affected his cognitive capacity and caused his life to spiral.

“You believed that mefloquine administered to you while you were in service ‘fried your brain’,” Judge Slattery said.

Freer was found guilty of a charge of aggravated theft and had pleaded guilty to a charge of fabricating evidence.

Judge Slattery imposed a jail term of almost three years and 11 months. He set a non-parole period of 20 months which was backdated to the time Freer’s bail was revoked on October 26, 2022.

As a result, the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner sought an order in the Supreme Court for Freer to be struck off the roll of legal practitioners.

President Mark Livesey and Justices Chris Bleby and Ben Doyle agreed, noting Freer, who was admitted to practice in South Australia in 2011, was unfit to practice.

“The Court must, where possible, protect the public from legal practitioners who act without

honesty and integrity,” they said.

“It is essential that the community and the Court be able to rely upon the integrity and trustworthiness of legal practitioners.”

Freer, who consented to the strike off, was officially struck off from the roll of practitioners.

Originally published as Former Adelaide lawyer Mark Freer struck off from roll of practitioners after dishonesty offending