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Irish judge jailed in landmark case over deception charges - VIDEO

Former Judge Heather Perrin gets two and a half year sentence

By
JAMES O'SHEA,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, November 29, 2012, 7:01 AM
Updated Thursday, November 29, 2012, 9:28 AM

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Former Judge Heather Perrin
Former Judge Heather Perrin
Photo by Laura Hutton


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The first ever judge to go prison in Ireland received a 2-½ year sentence for attempting to defraud a friend of his fortune.

Judge Heather Perrin was convicted of seeking to defraud a close friend by changing his will to leave half of his $1.5 million fortune to her two sons, reports the Irish Times.

The crime was committed before she went to work in the courts with a salary of $200,000.

She conspired to change her friend's will at her office, leaving half his fortune to her sons. The victim, Thomas Davis, who was in his eighties, actually intended to leave the two sons $3,000 each.

Her lawyers stated that it was a simple case of confusion but the jury quickly found her guilty.

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Perrin, who graduated from being a legal secretary to a lawyer and then a judge, will serve her time in a women’s prison where she will sleep in “hard bunk beds with thin duvets.” according to one report.

Once she was known as one of the best-dressed members of the bench who favored fine jewelry and was a much-cited example of a woman who rose to almost unheard of levels in the Irish law.

In court however, she appeared confused, apparently expecting a suspended sentence and clinging to her husband before she was led away in tears.

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Justice Mary Ellen Ring stated her sentence would have been a year longer but for health issues that had arisen.

The court heard character evidence from the Church of Ireland Archdeacon of Dublin, David Pierpoint about her work on behalf of young girls.

Former Judge, Heather Perrin:

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Nster.com
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9 Comments

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Scrivner | Dec 03, 2012, 12:35 PM EST
First, she committed the act BEFORE she was promoted to the bench. Second, who complained about the terms of the will? A greedy family member who may have abused the old man but now wants to overturn the intentions of a generous elder relative? Often a jury is suseptible to emotional tugs of family now, not realizing how relationships really were when the documents were prepared.

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Bocktherobber | Dec 01, 2012, 03:16 AM EST
"a woman who rose to almost unheard of levels in the Irish law". What does that mean? There are many women at Heather Perrin's level and above, including the supreme court. Incidentally, Geri D, the walking sticks are due to a knee replacement that went badly wrong.

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donwreford | Nov 30, 2012, 10:55 PM EST
I feel sorry for someone who has social privilege, a good salary, respectability, and should have a grasp on ethics and morality in her position, is this a example of the Elite being found out and someone who is typical of the Elite?

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geri d | Nov 29, 2012, 01:31 PM EST
Does she have some sort of physical disability that requires two walking sticks.....I could be wrong, buy my guess is not...Looking for sympathy and a leaner sentence perhaps? Absolute shame on her for doing what she did, especially considering her position as a judge....she can use this time to assess all the wrongdoings of her life, and I firmly believe she should spend her future in the service of helping people less fortunate than herself.....then the public will believe that she is capable of actual good, and she might even be forgiven.....As to her sons, I wonder if they were privy to all of this?

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RockNReel | Nov 29, 2012, 12:17 PM EST
yes indeed she was judged all right and rightly so. Unfortunately we have a lot more of her kind who used the system to fill their coffers but its been suggested that this will now give confidence to those who were wronged to come forward and it seems theres more to come. The child sex abuse scandal started off as a stream and gathered momentum only because of the bravery of a few who took on the system and won. Yet another example here of wrong doers finally being outed and paying the price for their greed. Well done to the jury.

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merefalow | Nov 29, 2012, 12:06 PM EST
judge not,lest ye be judged.

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bunkerisland | Nov 29, 2012, 11:23 AM EST
A greedy little blister! Are the canes something new to adorn when being sentenced?

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Silling | Nov 29, 2012, 09:29 AM EST
One wonders what sentence would Judge Heather Perrin have bestowed on someone if she presided over a similar case. That is a question which should be asked of her.

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billie061 | Nov 29, 2012, 08:28 AM EST
She got what she deserved, if she had been plkain joe soap would have got longer. She tried to rob an old man.

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