Couple sentenced for stealing £150,000 from celebrity chef Stephen Terry’s restaurant.
Nicola Nightingale and Simon Nightingale, from Kent, stole from The Hardwick in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.
Mr. Terry said it was “potentially devastating” for his business.
Mrs. Nightingale, 48, who admitted fraud, and her husband, 50, who was convicted of possession of criminal property, were both given two-year sentences, suspended for two years.
They must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
In March 2020, Mr Terry became suspicious of Mrs Nightingale’s behaviour and tried to contact her and her husband about irregularities in the accounts.
They did not reply and Mrs Nightingale then resigned as an office administrator via email.
Mr Terry then contacted the police who discovered that, over a two-year period, Mrs Nightingale had transferred almost £47,000 into her husband’s bank account, made direct payments of more than £50,000 to her own account, inflated her wages by £6,000, and made additional payments to herself disguised as paid wages of £47,000.
It also emerged that two £40,000 loans had been taken out in Mr. Terry’s name without his permission.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Mrs. Nightingale used the money to fund her spending addiction.
During Mr. Nightingale’s trial, it was revealed that some of the money was spent on holidays abroad.
In a victim impact statement, Mr. Terry said what happened had “no doubt” damaged his reputation.
“The impact of being defrauded of such a significant amount of money and having large outstanding payments to my suppliers is potentially devastating,” he said.
Judge Barry Clarke said sending both defendants to prison would have had a “lasting, negative impact on [the children] and upon their development”.
“It is an absolute joke”, said Mr Terry on the result of the court case
Outside court, Mr Terry said he was “gobsmacked” by the judge’s decision.
“To be here today and to get that news that they would both be given suspended sentences, it’s an absolute joke,” he said.
“They’ve had £150,000 from a small business.
“We don’t make a lot of money. It’s a labour of love, it’s a passion.” Mr. Terry added.
