Judge condemns Hilary Nelson’s $855 000 theft, jails him

Attorney-at-law Hilary Jeffery Nelson began serving just over six years at Dodds Prison on Thursday for stealing $855 000 from a client, after a judge condemned his actions as a serious breach of trust that could damage Barbados’ national and international reputation.

The 82-year-old of Bagatelle Terrace, St James, must also repay the full amount within 12 months.

In sentencing Nelson in the No. 5 Supreme Court, Justice Pamela Beckles said the public must retain confidence in the legal profession and “when a professional abuses their position, custody is inevitable”.