An attorney convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 from a client is due to tell the Magistrates Court today whether she was able to pay the money back over the past month. If 42-year-old Sonia Timothy Serrette was unable to restore the $96,967.50 she stole from retired teacher Fiordelisa Bain in October 2009, she will be sentenced to two-years in jail at Her Majesty’s Prison.

Serrette was given a month’s time by Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell to restore the funds to the victim, who attends Serrette’s church. Serrette was convicted of stealing by reason of service on August 15 and was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison for six weeks before returning to court for a report on whether the victim would be compensated. On October 12, Serrette’s attorney, Geoffrey Farquharson, informed the court that Serrette’s friends and associates, whom she relied on to handle her affairs, were not able to gather the money.

Mr Farquharson said Serrette would be able to pay the victim if she was free to handle her own affairs. He asked the court to consider a compensation order instead of prison time.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Bethell said such an order could only be given with the consent of Ms Bain.

The victim came to court and gave permission for the order to be made. The compensation order was made and the judge said failure to meet the order by tody would result in Serrette’s imprisonment for two years. She was also suspended from practice for three years by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Bar Council for professional misconduct. Serrette appealed the decision in the Court of Appeal and was successful on November 15 as the court remitted the matter back to the Tribunal.

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