[ad_1]
The Wilsons watched Russell’s star rise in the corporate world. The former Sinn Féin activist now rubbed shoulders with Ireland’s political elite. He formed a business partnership with former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds around 1996. Both men were involved in a number of deals in Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe, including a failed 1998 attempt to buy a Swiss bank, Wako Bank (Schweiz). , for the equivalent of 27 million euros.
And in 2001, to the Wilson’s horror, Russell became a lawyer. Even before becoming a member of the bar, he had a history of not paying what he owed. He had already been sued by a Wicklow taxi driver, a Meath store fitter, a beverage company, two banks, a builder, the Commissioners of Revenue, to force him to pay a combined sum of around 800,000 euros.
“I couldn’t believe it. I thought to myself ‘this man has lawsuits against him and he’s actually practicing law.’ I couldn’t believe it,” said Margaret, Esther’s sister.
In 2002, Russell owed more than € 213,000, including interest, to Esther Wilson. The family’s legal battle continued. “At this stage, my mom was in her 70s, and she’s an older woman who should be living a life, not worrying about how she is going to support her daughter for the rest of her life. She had to go back to court and fight. again and get another judgment against Mr. Russell, “Margaret said.
The Wilsons finally managed to put a legal and financial weapon on Patrick Russell’s head – they obtained a court order that froze his assets. The court order prevented him, for example, from applying for a mortgage to buy a property. Esther’s family had put the lawyer in a legal corner. Then, in September 2004, 14 years after taking Esther’s money, Russell was finally forced to pay everything he owed.
Days later, he paid 2.5 million euros to buy a house on six acres of land in County Dublin with stables, a tennis court, swimming pool and a ballroom with a specially designed mahogany bar. You no longer own the property.
The Wilsons were among the first victims of Patrick Russell. In a sense, they were also among the luckiest, because they finally got their money back. Others were not lucky.
[ad_2]