Chef ‘gobsmacked’ after couple who stole £150,000 from restaurant dodge jail

Chef Stephen Terry, whose Abergavenny restaurant The Hardwick was defrauded of £150,000 by two of his employees, has slammed the judge’s decision to suspend the culprits’ sentences.

Between May 2018 and February 2020, The Hardwick’s office administrator Nicola Nightingale, whose job was to pay the restaurant’s staff, sent more than 55 transfers to her husband Simon’s bank account, disguised as fake invoices, amounting to £46,741.57. Nightingale also made numerous transactions to her and her daughter’s accounts before leaving her role at The Hardwick in March 2020.

The Nightingales spent some of the stolen money on luxury holidays to Morocco, France, and Walt Disney World in Florida.

Meanwhile, in a victim statement written in June 2020, Terry, formerly of Harveys and The Walnut Tree, shared that his restaurant had been in financial “dire straits” as a result of the theft, and cited damage to his “reputation and working relationships” with suppliers due to outstanding payments.

It should also be noted that Nicola Nightingale left her role just before the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, the first of a series of hammer blows faced by the hospitality industry.

Nicola Nightingale pled guilty in February while appearing at Cardiff Crown Court. At the time, her husband, who worked as a chef at The Hardwick, tried to distance himself from the charges by pleading ignorance.

Both Nicola and Simon Nightingale were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to suspended two-year sentences and 100 hours of unpaid work. Record judge Barry Clarke’s reasoning for the sentencing was that sending the pair to prison would have a “lasting, negative impact” on their children.

Terry is reported to have said after the sentencing: “I am disappointed there was no custodial sentence for what they have put myself through…They had a holiday we could have only dreamed of and all of a sudden you find out you’re paying for it.”

He went on to describe the suspended sentence as a “travesty”: “What kind of message does that sent out? It’s a joke, an absolute joke…Nicola Nightingale had no regard for our employees or suppliers…I was adamant she was going to prison today. I am absolutely gobsmacked.”

Related news:

Man taken to court over €13,000 Cristal mishap

Chef wins court case after charging no-show customer

This article was originally published by the drinks business and has been shared with permission.

Leave your reply

Most Recent Stories

40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks due to sick workers

Investigators with the CDC have revealed that sick hospitality workers were the cause of 40% of food poisoning outbreaks at US restaurants between 2017 and 2019.

Arctic-aged English sparkling wine causes a splash in Norway

East Sussex's Rathfinny Estate partnered with Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten on a six month experiment that took English sparkling wine to new depths.

Laurent-Perrier launches summer terrace with Nobu

Champagne Laurent-Perrier will be hosting 'Serenity in the City', a new summer terrace at Portman Square's Nobu Hotel.

Drops of Gold? How adding gold nanoparticles can improve wine

Researchers in Australia have shown how gold nanoparticles can successfully remove unwanted sulphur aromas from wine through a scientific trial.

The best rosés from The Champagne Masters 2023

These are the leading rosés from this year's Champagne Masters, ranging from the young and fresh to the fully mature and vinous.

Most Recent Stories

40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks due to sick workers

Investigators with the CDC have revealed that sick hospitality workers were the cause of 40% of food poisoning outbreaks at US restaurants between 2017 and 2019.

Arctic-aged English sparkling wine causes a splash in Norway

East Sussex's Rathfinny Estate partnered with Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten on a six month experiment that took English sparkling wine to new depths.

Laurent-Perrier launches summer terrace with Nobu

Champagne Laurent-Perrier will be hosting 'Serenity in the City', a new summer terrace at Portman Square's Nobu Hotel.

Drops of Gold? How adding gold nanoparticles can improve wine

Researchers in Australia have shown how gold nanoparticles can successfully remove unwanted sulphur aromas from wine through a scientific trial.

The best rosés from The Champagne Masters 2023

These are the leading rosés from this year's Champagne Masters, ranging from the young and fresh to the fully mature and vinous.