TV chef 'scammed out of £150,000' by married couple working at his restaurant

For around two years, TV chef Stephen Terry had money fraudulently taken from the accounts of his award-winning restaurant, The Hardwick, in Abergavenny, South Wales, a court heard.

James Hockaday
Updated ·3-min read
A husband was paid more than £46,000 in bogus payments from a plush restaurant after his wife fiddled the books, a court heard today (Tues). Simon Nightingale, 50, received 55 transactions from the account of a country restaurant run by a renowned chef who appeared on TV's Great British menu. A court heard his Barclays account was credited by his wife Nicola, 47, working as an office administrator at the well-known country inn. She was responsible for paying wages and suppliers - and fraudulently took over £150,000 from the Hardwick in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, by transferring it into different accounts. Pictured here is restaurant owner Stephen Terry. WALES NEWS SERVICE
Mr Terry appeared on The Great British Menu on BBC 2 and was best man at Gordon Ramsay's wedding. (Wales News Service)

A married couple swindled a TV celebrity chef out of £150,000 and used the money to take dream holidays to Florida and Morocco, a court heard.

Simon and Nicola Nightingale went on a string of trips abroad despite making monthly payments to a debt management company.

Their alleged victim, 55-year-old Stephen Terry, appeared on The Great British Menu on BBC 2 and was best man at Gordon Ramsay's wedding.

For around two years the celebrity chef failed to spot that money was being taken from the accounts of his award-winning restaurant, The Hardwick, in Abergavenny, South Wales.

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A husband was paid more than £46,000 in bogus payments from a plush restaurant after his wife fiddled the books, a court heard today (Tues). Simon Nightingale, 50, received 55 transactions from the account of a country restaurant run by a renowned chef who appeared on TV's Great British menu. A court heard his Barclays account was credited by his wife Nicola, 47, working as an office administrator at the well-known country inn. She was responsible for paying wages and suppliers - and fraudulently took over £150,000 from the Hardwick in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, by transferring it into different accounts. Pictured here are Simon & Nicola Nightingale. WALES NEWS SERVICE
Nicola Nightingale, 47, has admitted to fraud, but her husband Simon denies wrongdoing. (Wales News Service)

The court heard Mrs Nightingale, 47, was employed as an office administrator at the restaurant, and was responsible for paying workers and suppliers.

She persuaded her boss to let her 50-year-old husband work some occasional shifts, which gave her the opportunity to fraudulently transfer more than £46,000 to him between May 2018 and February 2020.

Mrs Nightingale has since admitted to taking a total of £150,000 by creating fake invoices, taking out loans in the name of the company and paying herself an "inflated" salary.

She pleaded guilty to fraud, but Mr Nightingale previously of Gilwern near Abergavenny, is facing trial for acquiring criminal property.

He has denied wrongdoing, claiming he didn't know the money being transferred to him by his wife was fraudulently obtained.

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A husband was paid more than £46,000 in bogus payments from a plush restaurant after his wife fiddled the books, a court heard today (Tues). Simon Nightingale, 50, received 55 transactions from the account of a country restaurant run by a renowned chef who appeared on TV's Great British menu. A court heard his Barclays account was credited by his wife Nicola, 47, working as an office administrator at the well-known country inn. She was responsible for paying wages and suppliers - and fraudulently took over £150,000 from the Hardwick in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, by transferring it into different accounts. Pictured here is The Hardwick owned by Stephen Terry. WALES NEWS SERVICE
The court heard how Mrs Nightingale created fake invoices and paid herself an "inflated" salary while working at The Hardwick in Abergavenny, South Wales. (Wales News Service)

When asked by prosecutor Thomas Stanway if he accepted that he'd been on a "fair amount" of holidays between 2018 and 2020, the defendant replied: "A normal amount really".

During that time the couple took trips to Disneyland Paris and Disney World Florida, and took anniversary trips to Morocco, which Mr Stanway says were booked by his wife.

When Mr Stanway asked if at any point the defendant thought to ask, "have we go enough money for this love?", he responded: "No. I trusted Nicola to be arranging it properly."

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Stephen Terry, 55, during the trial of Nicola and Simon Nightingale, who are accused of swindling £150,000 from his restaurant - the Hardwick, in Abergavenny, south Wales.
Celebrity chef Stephen Terry had £150,000 taken from his restaurant's accounts over a two-year period, jurors heard. (Wales News Service)

The court heard the couple started paying debt management company Lowell Portfolio Ltd in May 2018, after taking out credit to give Mrs Nightingale a "comfortable" life.

"I took some of the credit out for Nicola and then some of the credit was hers. It was just to keep Nicola happy and I wanted her to have everything she wanted," the husband said.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Mr Nightingale's account was overdrawn on multiple occasions while a number of different direct debits bounced back.

The trial continues.

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