Husband and wife facing trial for theft of £1.7m
Irish couple in UK court
AN IRISH company accountant stole £1.7million (€1.9million) to fund expensive holidays, shopping trips to Selfridges and tickets for Ireland rugby internationals, a jury in a UK court was told yesterday.
Gerard Lawless, 59, allegedly took the money over 11 years – mainly from two PR companies based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, called Hunter and Carbon.
Mr Lawless, 59, and his wife Angela, 58, of Rosedale, Taylor’s Hill, Galway, are on trial at St Albans crown court in a case that is due to last four to five weeks.
Prosecution QC Gideon Cammerman told the jury: ‘The prosecution say this is a very simple case.
‘On November 20, 1997, Mr Lawless began an accounts role within a small group of companies in Hertfordshire, predominately owned by Vincent Tickel.
‘From 2003 to 2014 Mr Lawless stole £1.7million.
‘He did it in lots of different ways, all of which supported a luxurious lifestyle. It was spent on holidays, shopping at Selfridges, John Lewis, on family outings to international rugby games – Mr Lawless being a supporter of Ireland.’
He said Mr Tickel and others at the companies had trusted Mr Lawless, with Mr Tickel telling his wife that if he died she should go to Mr Lawless because he knew about everything.
‘That trust was betrayed in a sustained way,’ said the prosecutor.
Mr Cammerman went on: ‘In a decade, £230,000 (€255,000) was spent by the Lawless’s on holidays – that is £23,000 a year.
‘Many thousands of pounds was spent on wine and champagne.
‘So blatant did the fraud become that champagne for his son’s wedding, to which the directors and employers were invited, was bought with a company credit card.
‘He (Mr Lawless) would pay for a big meal on a company credit card and other people would give him money for their share back.
‘He was giving his bank details for people to send him their share.’
Mr Cammerman said there was a human story behind the alleged fraud.
He said the couple had been living apart when they first came to England, but there appeared to be the ‘coincidence’ of a happy
‘Thousands spent on champagne’
family life returning with the sort of luxuries he bought with the company money.
Mr Cammerman said: ‘The money was spent not on things solely for Mr Lawless – it rarely was – it was spent on shopping, outings, meals and events.’
When he was confronted by Mr Tickel and others, Mr Lawless allegedly said: ‘I didn’t know it was that much.’
But the jury was told Mr Lawless says he did not make the admissions and says that he had permission to take the money.
The prosecutor alleged the trial is the final phase of the fraud, with it being Mr Lawless’ attempt to get away with it.
Gerard Lawless denies theft and fraud by abuse of position. Angela Lawless denies being concerned in the acquisition, retention, use of control of criminal property.
The couple were formerly from Clarence Road, Harpenden.
Mr Lawless denies theft and fraud