District Court Judge Heather Perrin is due to be sentenced today for deceiving a family friend into leaving half his estate to her children.

The 60-year-old of Lambay Court, Malahide in Dublin was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last week of deceptively inducing Thomas Davis into making the bequeathment in January 2009.

She has since offered her resignation as a judge.

During her trial the jury heard Perrin ran her own solicitor's practice in Fairview at the time of the offence.

She drew up a will for Mr. Davis who signed the document without reading it over.

Up to 5 years in prison

He gave evidence that it was his intention that his 2 nieces would inherit most of his estate which is valued at €1 million.

Now aged in his 80s he was alerted to the will's contents by solicitors - O'Hanrahan Quaney - who took over Heather Perrin's practice.

The judge initially blamed her secretary for the mistake but later told gardai she had acted in accordance with Thomas Davis's instructions.

She faces up to 5 years in prison.