Ayr solicitor Lynsay Kelly admits to defrauding dead man’s estate

Lynsay Kelly confessed to embezzling £280,822 from the estate of William Walker Loudoun over a 15-month period between February 14, 2018, and May 25 the following year.

She also transferred shares worth £54,564, bringing the total amount obtained through fraud to £335,446. She had been employed as a solicitor at J. & A. Boyd, where she managed significant bank accounts.

She pleaded guilty to pretending to be the executor-dative, along with her partner, for Mr Loudoun’s estate between June 19 and August 5, 2019. She submitted falsified certificates of confirmations to induce Link Management Services Limited and Equiniti Group PLC to provide her with cheques for various shares.

These shares include BP plc (£7,749), Rank Group (£4,669), J.Sainsbury plc (£5,512), Lloyds Banking Group (£865), and Royal Dutch Shell (£4,347). Kelly also convinced Scottish Widows to authorize payment of £13,351 to her partner from a Halifax Investor ISA in Mr Loudoun’s name, and Barclays Bank to authorise payment of £18,128.

Kelly also pleaded guilty to presenting forged documents to Ayr Sheriff Court on July 26, 2018, using a fake signature to receive certificates of confirmation for the assets held in Mr Loudoun’s estate.

On April 20, she admitted to charges of embezzlement, fraud, and presenting forged documents to court officials.

Prosecutors accepted not guilty pleas to further charges of attempted fraud of an additional £73,137 and the theft of paperwork from the law firm.

Procurator fiscal depute Alasdair Millar said: “Police attended her home address at the front door. The accused was traced in the master bedroom. Forged forms and addressed letters were found. She stated that ‘when denied a mortgage I did tell [her partner] I was borrowing as an interim measure’.

“The accused was arrested, taken to the police station and interviewed with her solicitor, Graeme Cunningham.

“She admitted also forging certificates presented to Ayr Sheriff Court.”