He pleaded guilty on 11 November 2013 to two charges of obtaining money transfers by deception and seven charges of theft representing £1,157,000.
The offences took place between 1997 and 2001 and he was struck off the Roll of Solicitors in 8 March 2002.
In passing sentence HHJ Moore said: “John Fitzpatrick joined with others in two quite spectacular mortgage frauds.
“The final theft deserved special mention as John Fitzpatrick was so desperate for money at that stage to avoid an inevitable investigation, he stole £100,000 of client money.”
Fitzpatrick stole money from each of his six clients over a period of five and a half years, then fled to South Africa where he was eventually captured.
The two charges of obtaining money transfers by deception related to his role as a solicitor facilitating mortgage frauds which formed part of the case successfully advanced by the SFO and the West Yorkshire Police on 4 November 2004.
Fitzpatrick was the instigator but acted alongside a dishonest mortgage broker and his client in a fraudulent back to back property sale at an inflated price defrauding the mortgage lender. The case also involved forged documents and identity theft.
The seven counts of theft involved Fitzpatrick stealing clients’ money. Three counts related to theft of funds entrusted to him in the course of the victims buying or selling a home. One victim was left jobless and homeless as a result of Fitzpatrick stealing money intended for the purchase of a home and business. Another arrived to move in at the home he believed he had bought only to find it had not been sold to him at all and Fitzpatrick had stolen the purchase funds.
Four counts related to theft of funds entrusted to Fitzpatrick for investment on the false promise of high returns, which were instead appropriated for his own purposes.
Following intelligence received on Fitzpatrick’s whereabouts, enquiries were undertaken in the Krugersdorp area of South Africa and an extradition request was made in August 2011.
Fitzpatrick was arrested in May 2013 by the South African authorities while using the alias John Cooper and was remanded in custody, initially in Krugersdorp prison before surrender to the UK Authorities.
He did not contest the extradition and was repatriated with the assistance of officers from West Yorkshire Police.
