JONI PARRINGTON spent years training in law, earning the trust of clients and colleagues as she worked her way up the chain at her firm.

The University of Southampton law degree graduate landed a scholarship for her final year of study and by all accounts was a model employee during her 13 years at Lawson Lewis Blakers.

Her career success helped her to build a home for her five children, the eldest of whom is 14 and the youngest just 12 weeks old, in their quarter of a million pound property she once shared with her former husband.

Yet, in what Judge Shani Barnes described as falling “very far from grace”, she will now spend time in Bronzefield All Women’s Prison, near Ashford, Surrey, taking part in arts and sewing workshops, cleaning, painting and decorating alongside criminals such as murderers serving life sentences.

She joined the law firm in 2001 as a trainee legal secretary and became a fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. Her latest role, based in the Peacehaven office, specialised in wills, probate and elderly clients.

Seen as a team player, she topped a ladies tennis league during a contest organised by the firm, and pictures show her taking part in office fundraisers for Macmillan Cancer Support.

In another shot she proudly holds a certificate for raising £22,810 for free wills charities in March 2013 – only six months before she began committing her crimes.

Kevin Light, defending, said customer feedback forms praised her relationship with clients and she told the court she was brought up to “work hard for what she had”.

But her previous good character has been marred after defrauding elderly women out of more than £100,000 to invest in a gym and to make home improvements.

She had transferred some of the money into a joint account which she shared with Karl Emery, who was described in court as her boyfriend and who now lives in her property.

Parrington claimed the four extremely vulnerable victims would have backed the investment. She described Elizabeth Parker as mentally incapable, Gertrude Davis as deaf and Anne Westgate as “elderly who wanted a bit of fun”.

As a gym member, Parrington learned that the Crossfit trainers were looking for an investor and offered to help.

She admitted the charges against her but insisted it was not for personal gain but for the benefit of her customers.

Parrington claimed she did not conceal her actions on purpose but that was a ‘mistake’ because she used legal document templates and payslips already on file as she was “rushing” her work.

She added: “I wasn’t very good with investment. I shouldn’t have been disrespectful of procedures.”

During the two-hour hearing she wept and trembled, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief and shaking as she fumbled with evidence papers. She seemed bewildered at the suggestion she plotted anything for personal gain right until the moment she was escorted to the cells.

In court she blamed the firm for “inadequate training and supervision” and the breakdown of her marriage to her “physically abusive” ex-husband Keith Parrington for her actions, claiming she had a miscarriage caused by the stress of the investment.

However, her blatant attempts to conceal the transactions left the prosecution, judge, packed public gallery and those unwittingly embroiled in her crimes struggling to believe her side of the story.

Dale Sullivan, prosecuting, said the benefit was “clear”, with documents suggesting her intention to profit financially and discrepancies in the price for architect consultancy fees for the gym and the amount she paid herself to cover the cost from the victims’ accounts.

He said Lawson Lewis Blakers had suffered a “loss of reputation” among clients and its insurance premium had increased because of the substantial claim, adding: “People would have lost their jobs if the money was not given back through insurers.”

Victim Anne Westgate, now 85, is confined to a wheelchair because of severe arthritis, has difficulty speaking and is looked after by carers at her home in Peacehaven. She told The Argus she was “absolutely astonished”, adding: “I thought she was such a nice lady. It is just extraordinary and I still have difficulty believing it. She’s a silly girl.”

Her ex-husband Keith Parrington said the abuse allegations were “ludicrous”, adding: “No violence ever happened. The woman has some serious issues. She lies, gets caught out, and lies some more. I have lived with it and know first hand how manipulative she is.”

Jeremy Sogno, senior partner at Lawson Lewis Blakers, said she was a “long-serving and trusted legal executive who committed a gross act of betrayal”.

He added: “As soon we discovered her actions, we suspended her. She was sacked a week later following an internal inquiry. We immediately paid back all the money stolen from the four clients and offered them our sincere apologies.

“Our clients and professional colleagues have given us great support during this very distressing period. We are very grateful for their continuing trust and loyalty.”

Gym owners Mark Goodwin and Richard Robinson were unavailable for comment but in witness statements said Parrington’s account of the situation and the truth differed.

Det Con Jim Austin of Eastbourne CID, who led the investigation, said the sentence was “appropriate” and was justice for those affected.