Former solicitor Thomas Byrne has accused certain clients of lying to his €52 million theft and fraud trial about property transactions.

The father of three with an address at Mountjoy Square in Dublin has also admitted under cross-examination that he secured mortgages on properties he did not own.

Thomas Byrne says one client, 91-year-old Kathleen Fahy, signed a deed transferring her home into his name in May 2007 a month before she died.

He claims her daughter Vera McGrane agreed to sell him the house for €430,000 and that he was to pay for the property in October or November that year.

Evidence from Mrs. McGrane earlier in the trial is that the house was transferred over to Mr. Byrne 'in his dreams'.

Under cross-examination today the former solicitor said she was lying, and when pressed as to why she would do that, he said there might have been difficulties later if the Law Society were of the opinion the family were in some sort of agreement with a disgraced solicitor.

He gave a similar answer when asked about other clients who had apparently told untruths about him.

He is accused of fraudulently transferring clients properties into his name to use as collateral on bank loans.