Mr and Mrs Money both jailed for £296K NHS fraud

Friday 27th November, 2015

A Kent man who laundered and helped to spend the money that his wife, a cashier employed by the NHS, had stolen from her former employer joined her behind bars this month.

David Money, 64, was jailed for 15 months at Woolwich Crown Court, London following an investigation by NHS Protect. He was found guilty of Acquiring Criminal Property to the value of £164,000.

His partner, Brenda Money, had worked at the Memorial Hospital in Shooters Hill, Woolwich. By diverting petty cash to their joint account, she stole a total of £296,000 and together they spent the money on lavish meals, shopping and expensive holidays. She was found guilty of fraud by abuse of position, and jailed for 30 months earlier this year.

Their personal bank statements revealed a lifestyle way beyond their official income. Between January 2010 and October 2011 they spent nearly £12,000 on grocery deliveries from Ocado, over £11,000 at Marks and Spencer, and £3,000 at John Lewis. They treated themselves to holidays and cruises worth over £15,000, including five trips to Turkey in just 22 months, as well as to Hawaii and the Caribbean. The couple meanwhile made mortgage repayments of £46,000, and paid off credit cards and loans of £36,000.

David Money claimed that he was unaware of the amount of money going through his joint bank account and thought it came from savings, as well as undeclared earnings from his motor mechanic business. But the investigation revealed that the business made a profit of only £24,520 between 2009 and 2011, and Brenda Money’s pre-tax income was £23,687 in the same period. His argument didn’t add up.

 

Susan Frith, Managing Director of NHS Protect, said today: “David Money knowingly benefitted from his wife’s £296K fraud, against the NHS – money which should have been spent on patient care. This jail sentence should act as a deterrent to those who think stealing from the NHS will go undetected. All suspicions of fraud reported to NHS Protect are followed up, and investigated wherever appropriate. We press for the prosecution of offenders and seek the strongest possible sanctions, so public money is not diverted from patient care”.