An elderly accused of pretending to be a lawyer was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment at hard labour in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He is Alfred Holland from Paytona Place, Kingston 7. Holland was charged with obtaining money by false pretence, amounting to $55,000.

Allegations are that between November 2010 and February 2011, the complainant wanted Holland to speed up his divorce case and gain the custody of his daughter. It is alleged that a friend to the complainant had referred Holland.

However, the complainant found out that Holland was not a lawyer hence his court proceedings could not be taken care of and his money not returned.

"This is the first time I'm doing this procedure your Honour, I started life a bit late and my wife is supposed to have a baby at the end of May, so I needed the money," the accused told Senior Resident Magistrate (RM) Judith Pusey.

"Well it seems like you won't be able to see the birth of that child you have to serve nine months' imprisonment, because that is a serious offence," RM Pusey told the accused before handing down the nine-month sentence.