The daughter of a couple accused of stealing £150,000 from TV chef Stephen Terry confessed that the family jetted off on luxury Disney holidays, a jury heard today.
Jasmine Nightingale, 22, enjoyed holidays to Disney resorts while mother Nicola, 47, stole £150,000 from her celeb chef boss, who was Gordon Ramsay‘s best man.
A court heard the family took two trips to Eurodisney, a trip to Disney World Florida and also holidayed in France.
Simon Nightingale, 50, and his wife also enjoyed two anniversary stays in Morocco while Mrs Nightingale stole £150,000 from the restaurant.
The court heard Nicola Nightingale was working as an office admin at the plush Hardwick restaurant run by chef Stephen Terry.
But she started to steal money weeks into the job and transferred £46,741.57 from the country inn to her husband.
Simon and Nicola Nightingale, pictured. Mrs Nightingale pleaded guilty to fraud – but her husband is facing trial for acquiring criminal property
Gordon Ramsay (left) with Stephen Terry who runs the plush Hardwick restaurant
The couple were paying money to debt management company Lowell Portfolio Ltd to pay off store cards while using money from the restaurant.
Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said the alarm was raised when TV’s Great British Menu chef Stephen Terry checked the accounts.
Mr Terry discovered two £40,000 loans had been taken out in his name along with a £10,000 shortfall in the pension pot.
Nightingale claimed he believed money transferred to him was his wife’s wages along with money for shifts he carried out at the restaurant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.
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Mr Stanway said: ‘He gave a prepared statement to police. He effectively placed the blame on his wife. He said she had access to his account.’
The couple’s daughter Jasmine, who also worked shifts for chef Mr Terry, said her heavy drinker mum had control over the finances.
Giving evidence, she said: ‘My mum was heavily drinking wine and gin. She was bad. She was nasty, argumentative.
‘You didn’t want to be around her. She drank every day. It would start when she came home from work at around 3.30pm until she passed out.’
Mr Terry discovered two £40,000 loans had been taken out in his name along with a £10,000 shortfall in the pension pot
The court heard Jasmine, who also worked as a barista for Costa Coffee, was made to pay rent while living in the family’s rented home.
She said: ‘My mum was responsible for the finances. More or less all of the time. My mum was in complete control of everything we bought and everywhere we went.
‘I would not ask my dad for money because I would get a lecture from him saying that I can’t keep asking for money.
‘I gave money for rent and for holidays. It was my mum’s idea. My mum would make every decision.’
Chef Mr Terry said: ‘I think it took Nicola about four weeks to start taking money from us from when she started. She didn’t hang about.’
Mrs Nightingale pleaded guilty to fraud – but her husband, previously of Gilwern near Abergavenny, is facing trial for acquiring criminal property.
The three-day trial continues at Cardiff Crown Court.
