Director Jim Sheridan poses with John Gilligan’s notorious ex-lawyer Michael Di Stefano as a new documentary lands

The filmmaker and his documentary team bought the exclusive rights to The Devil’s Advocate, Di Stefano’s biography written by his son Michael Di Stefano.

Di Stefano famously represented a string of dictators and big-time criminals before being arrested and jailed in 2011 for posing as a lawyer when it was revealed he had no qualifications.

The Brit’s clients included Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz, Ali Hassan al-Majid (better known as “Chemical Ali”), Slobodan Milosevic, the warlord Arkan and Charles Manson.

Sheridan said Giovanni Di Stefano’s story was “intriguing” and “truly unique.”

“The main character is simply amazing and we’re thrilled to have the exclusive collaboration of Giovanni, his family and his legal team to tell the story.” “Giovanni was serving an eight-year sentence for posing as a lawyer without a license or qualification,” added the filmmaker added.

Stefano, who earned his nickname for taking on “unwinnable” cases, was convicted on 25 charges between 2001 and 2011, including deception, fraud and money laundering.

The Italian cheated his clients out of millions of pounds by establishing himself as a solicitor despite having no legal qualifications and not being registered as a solicitor in either Italy or the UK.

He used the Italian word “avvocato” on business cards, letterhead and identification documents to give clients – and the judiciary – the impression that he was a lawyer or lawyer.

In 2005, Di Stefano agreed to counsel incarcerated criminal John Gilligan. He met the convicted drug dealer at Portlaoise Prison and agreed to represent him.

Mr Di Stefano said Gilligan’s extradition to Ireland for prosecution in 1997 was flawed and his subsequent conviction was “uncertain”.

Gilligan was acquitted of the murder of Sunday Independent journalist Veronica Guerin but was jailed for cannabis trafficking.

Di Stefano also said he will represent Patrick “Dutchy” Holland, who was jailed in 1996 for drug possession with intent to supply drugs.

Holland was named in court by Gardai as the man who shot Veronica Guerin.

Gardai investigating Ms Guerin’s murder believed Holland was the pillion passenger on a motorcycle used in the murder.

Ten years ago, Di Stefano told reporters that upon his release from Portlaoise prison, John Gilligan vowed to “get on with it properly”.

According to the fake lawyer, in a series of interviews with him, Gilligan insisted that after 16 years in prison, he would never again do anything that would jeopardize his liberty.

Just this week Gilligan was fined and suspended by a Costa Blanca judge after he admitted smuggling cannabis and powerful sleeping pills into Ireland and owning a gun planted in the back garden of his Costa Blanca home was found hidden.