Solicitor who defrauded £9.5m lottery winner Keith Gough on behalf of Tushingham conman jailed

Jan 19 2012 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

A SOLICITOR who facilitated the laundering of money from a vulnerable lottery winner on behalf of a Tushingham conman has been jailed.

Nicholas Heywood, 45, from Bolton, pleaded guilty to money laundering, perverting the course of justice and prejudicing a money laundering investigation.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail when he appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday).

Heywood had acted for lottery winner Keith Gough, of Shropshire, whose wife won £9.5m on the National Lottery in 2005.

Gough was subsequently introduced by a mutual acquaintance to James Prince, 37, of Willeymore Lane, Tushingham, and set about defrauding him.

Following a Cheshire Police investigation, Prince was convicted of fraud and money laundering in May 2009, and was sentenced to three years and 10 months imprisonment.

Heywood was convicted of an offence relating to a loan made to Gough as a result of Prince’s activity.

Part of the loan – £13,750 – was transferred by Heywood to himself.

Following a history of alcohol problems Gough, who lost a total of £700,000 to Prince, died in March 2009.

Detective Inspector Tim Dean of Cheshire Constabulary said: “Heywood abused his position as a solicitor with the deliberate intent of frustrating a police investigation and justice itself.

“Heywood very nearly succeeded but through sheer tenacity, officers in the case uncovered the truth

“His actions have undermined the public trust in all solicitors. As such, I feel sure all solicitors including his old colleagues would totally condemn his actions.”