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Couple behind £150,000 fraud at Stephen Terry’s restaurant told to repay just £1


A couple who defrauded chef Stephen Terry’s Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, out of £150,000 have been told to pay back just £1. Nicola Nightingale, 48,


was working as a financial administrator at the restaurant when she committed the fraud between 2018 and 2020. She pleaded guilty to fraud


by abuse of position earlier this year when a court heard she had paid herself inflated wages, made payments into her and her husband Simon Nightin- gale’s accounts and took out two £40,000 loans in Terry’s name. Nightingale also gener- ated fake invoices from ficti- tious suppliers. The fraud was revealed when


Terry discovered a £10,000 shortfall in the business’s pen- sion pot and the loans taken out under his name. Funds totalling £46,741.57


had been transferred into her husband’s account and the fam- ily had enjoyed luxury holidays from the proceeds. Simon, who was found guilty


of acquiring criminal property following a trial, had claimed he believed the cash was his wife’s wages and payment for shifts he had carried out at the restaurant.


“This is as far as the courts can take it” Judge Shomon Khan


A pilot scheme has launched in Liverpool that will train job- seekers in hospitality skills to plug regional staff shortages. The government-backed pro- gramme will provide training from industry experts and give jobseekers a ‘Hospitality Skills Passport’, a digital pass to dem- onstrate aptitude to employers. Benefit claimants will com-


plete qualifications and receive accredited training in areas such as health and safety, food safety, licensing, and conflict resolu- tion to include on their passport. They will also be trained in con- fidence and assertiveness.


4 | The Caterer | 15 September 2023


Terry said the sentence given to the couple was an “absolute joke” Earlier this year the couple,


who live in Kent, were sen- tenced to two years in prison suspended for two years at Car- diff Crown Court. A Proceeds of Crime hear-


ing heard that a thorough examination of the couple’s finances revealed no releas- able assets and judge Shomon Khan handed out £1 confisca- tion orders to be made for both parties. He said: “There has been a


lot of interest in his case but there has been a thorough investigation and that’s where we are in terms of the recover- able amount, and this is as far as the courts can take it.” After their sentencing in May,


Terry said it was an “absolute joke” that the couple walked free. “I believe she would have


ended us… the business would have gone under,” he said. “HMRC would have been knock- ing on my door and suppliers, she had no regard for that. “This should be a lesson for


all people not to trust, do your research, get references and be aware of how your business is being run. We trusted her and unfortunately, she didn’t fulfil her job title. “Get involved in your busi-


ness because I am sure it’s going on as we speak and it’s an absolute killer. We have man- aged to survive by the skin of our teeth but we’re still repay- ing debt. We’re good at what we do and have managed to work through that.”


Government launches ‘Hospitality Skills Passport’ pilot There were 127,000 job vacan-


cies in the hospitality sector between March and May, accord- ing to the Office for National Statistics, and UKHospitality has warned that the sector has a 10% shortage of head chefs and a 21% shortage of production chefs. The Department for Work


and Pensions (DWP), which has partnered with UKHos- pitality and Springboard to deliver the training, said that those who complete the Work Academy Programme would be guaranteed an interview and a pathway to an apprenticeship. Minister for employment Guy


Opperman said: “This innova- tive collaboration between DWP and UKHospitality is a national first and underscores our com- mitment to work with industry to address challenges, fill vacan- cies and grow the economy. “The standardised and indus- try-backed Hospitality Skills Passport will help bridge the gap for those looking for work, helping jobseekers to boost their skills and kickstart their careers.” UKHospitality chief executive


Kate Nicholls said she hoped the scheme could be a “real positive for both jobseekers and businesses”.


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