Greedy lawyer plundered £4m for her lifestyle

work for her husband’s firm of funeral directors.

Box, of Halifax Road, Dewsbury, pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud, two of forgery and one of theft.

Jailing her, Mr Justice Blake said it was a tale of misplaced trust “all because of your unrestrained and outof-control greed”.

The offending had begun as long ago as 2002 when for the next seven years she abused her position as both a respected solicitor and as an official of the church, stealing money from the Bishop of Wakefield Fund and “diverting large sums of church money into personal accounts”. The total loss to the church was £250,000. The judge said 75 individual client files, many involving estates of deceased and 10 files relating the church, showed misappropriation. She had fobbed off anxious relatives when they made inquiries about such funds, diverting the money to herself.

The mother of one deceased client said: “How can there be a more vile crime than pretending to be my friend when I was obviously overwhelmed with grief?”

Joe Hingston, for Box, said: “Her reputation lies in ruins. This was a course of conduct which simply spiralled out of control.”

The firm, which had offices in Wakefield and Horbury, closed in January last year after more than 200 years of practising law after a fraud investigation was launched by police.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority stepped in four months later to formally prevent the firm from operating.

The court heard the Dixon, Coles and Gill building had now been sold and staff had been made redundant.

Her reputation lies in ruins. This was a course of conduct which simply spiralled out of control