A FORMER Dundee director accused of defrauding clients out of £1 million by posing as a lawyer was no more qualified in law than he was as a surgeon or a pilot, a court has heard.
Giovanni Di Stefano, 57, who was known as the Devil's Advocate, allegedly netted the money from 10 victims after he claimed he was a trained "avvocato" – Italian for lawyer – between 2004 and 2012.
Prosecutors at his trial at Southwark Crown Court claimed he was no more a qualified lawyer than he was a "surgeon qualified to perform surgery or pilot qualified to fly an aeroplane".
David Aaronberg, QC, told jurors how Di Stefano earned his nickname because he was prepared to defend "unwinnable and unpopular causes".
Among his clients were convicted killer Paul Bush, who was jailed for life at The Old Bailey in 2003 for murder, the court heard.
"Each of those people gave Mr Di Stefano, either directly or indirectly, money which many, if not all of them, will tell you they would never have given him if they had known that he was not a qualified lawyer," said Mr Aaronberg.
"Between them, between June 2004 and December 2011, they lost a little under £1m."
He said Di Stefano was not a lawyer as he had claimed.
Mr Aaronberg added: "He had no formal legal qualification whatever, so the prosecution case is that he was never entitled to describe himself as an avvocato at all.
"He was giving a clear indication, which was false, that he was a qualified lawyer."
He said Di Stefano used the title avvocato with a "certain degree of confidence" after an order was made by High Court judge Mr Justice Jackson in 2002 stating that he was "qualified to practise".
The ruling was made while he was advising jailed property tycoon Nicholas Van Hoogstraten.
Mr Aaronberg said: "Mr Di Stefano knew perfectly well that he was not qualified to practise at the Italian Bar any more than he was a surgeon qualified to perform surgery or pilot qualified to fly an aeroplane."
In August 2003, Di Stefano attempted to register with the Law Society in England and Wales, but was refused and told he was banned from acting as a legal advisor.
Di Stefano, of Canterbury, Kent, denies the charges.
The trial continues.
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