Darwen solicitor jailed for failing to pay back cash

Magistrates finally lost patience with Philip Pressler, who has paid back just £219,138 of a £690,000 order made five years ago.

Looking suntanned and dressed in a suit and a pink shirt, the 58 year-old, of Key View, Darwen, was sent back to prison for 746 days after being accused of being “obstructive” to attempts to recover the cash.

Today it also emerged he had breached a ban on setting up bank accounts – paying £10,000 to his step daughter which was “drip fed” back into his account.

He also had £63,000 in “hidden assets”.

Last week his Mercedes was sold for £3,100, with the cash taken by receivers.

Pressler also owns a home in Spain, the court was told, but it is worthless because it does not have the correct planning permission.

John Elliot, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “There is clear and cogent evidence that this man has had access to hidden accounts.”

Defence lawyer Isaac Mirza claimed Pressler’s attempts to find work to repay the money had been hampered by ‘bad publicity’.

Today, magistrates rejected his defence, which included filing for a ‘certificate of inadequacy’, to prove he could repay the money.

Sentencing Pressler to 746 days in prison, Derek Tate, chairman of the bench, said he had previously been convicted of ‘numerous counts of theft’.

He said: “We do not believe you have been proactive in settling this order.

“Furthermore, we consider you have been obstructive.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Janet Baldwin, of the proceeds of crime unit, said: “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and effort, to ensure criminals – even after serving their original sentence – are forced to pay their confiscation order or face the penalty of a further sentence.”

In 2006 the Lancashire Telegraph revealed Pressler was being allowed to give advice at a Citizens Advice Bureau while on day released from his first prison sentence.

He was subsequently sacked.