Former business manager at Fawsley Hall tricked couple into paying £9,000 wedding deposit into her account

A former business development manager at a spa hotel in Northamptonshire persuaded a couple to pay their wedding deposit into her personal account, a court heard
Fawsley HallFawsley Hall
Fawsley Hall

Jayne Harper, age 55, of Main Street, Holcot, appeared at Northampton Crown Court after she pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud, which led to a loss of £11,300 to Fawsley Hall.

The court heard Harper received a £9,000 deposit for a wedding after she told the couple the only way they could secure the date was by paying the money into her account.

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Steven Coupland, prosecuting, said Harper told the couple not to tell anyone at Fawsley Hall they had paid the money to her.

Harper’s fraud was uncovered after the couple began to have doubts about the lack of paperwork they had received about their wedding booking.

Mr Coupland said Harper was suspended from work but initially persuaded the couple not to go to the police as she said she would pay double the amount of money back to them. However, this proved to be lies.

The court heard that harper did eventually pay back the £9,000 but it is believed to have come from Harper’s father.

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The second fraud related to a £3,230 quantity of wine and champagne that Harper paid for with a personal cheque, which then bounced.

The wine company then chased Harper for the payment and she came up with a variety of excuses as to why it had not been paid.

The offences took place between November 2011 and April 2012 when Harper was employed as a business development manager at Fawsley Hall.

The court heard analysis of Harper’s bank statements revealed she had made regular bets on gambling and bingo sites.

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Mr Coupland said the money for the wine had now been paid back.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking adjourned sentencing for four weeks to allow for further checks on Harper’s medical records to be carried out.