A company director who lived an extravagant lifestyle as workers were made redundant has been jailed for fraud offences adding up to £750,000.
Margaret Jean Murray-Shelley drove a Porsche, lived in a £1.6 million home and went on a skiing trip while her staff were losing their jobs.
A court hearing was told that she was receiving up to £1,000 a day in company cash to fund her way of life, Wales Online reports.
During the hearing at Cardiff Crown Court it was revealed that her husband Philip Murray-Shelley planned the movement of funds from a credit company to the business he ran with his wife, called MJL, over a long period.
MJL had gained the trust of the credit company, which offered credit agreements to businesses that used MJL’s services but couldn’t afford to pay in full upfront. Such businesses would arrange for the credit company to pay MJL in full and then pay back the money with interest.
By creating false contracts MJL took advantage of the business relationship and gained money. This led the credit company to lose £750,000 and resulted in MJL employees losing their jobs as money was stolen from company accounts to give Mr and Mrs Murray-Shelley a lavish lifestyle.
Mrs Murray-Shelley was sentenced at Newport Crown Court and was jailed for two-and-a-half years for fraudulent trading and conspiracy to steal.
Her husband was sentenced to five years for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
Two other men, Andrew Wallace and Wayne Pulman, resepectively received a 20-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years with 300 hours community service for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, and three-and-a-half years for conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, fraudulent trading and conspiracy to steal.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Holcombe from South Wales Police’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU) said: “They continued to trade as a company whilst knowing their company was in serious financial difficulty, giving no notice to their employees of its foreseen closure.”
Sue MacLeod, Chief Investigator of Insolvent Investigations, Midlands & West at The Insolvency Service, added: “One of the main purposes of the Company Directors Disqualification Act is to ensure that a proper standard of conduct of company directors is maintained.
“The seriousness of misconduct in this case warranted a 12-year disqualification period and should serve as a reminder that The Insolvency Service will investigate unacceptable conduct by company directors.”