I wanted to protect her
Irish doctor in insurance case ‘didn’t tell wife full extent of burglary’
IT would be a nightmare scenario for any family. But when police called to the McGrath family to investigate a reported burglary, they were told by Mrs McGrath that ‘nothing had been taken’.
Yesterday, Anthony McGrath, a hospital consultant accused of staging a burglary in an alleged insurance scam, told a UK court that he didn’t initially tell his wife of any thefts from their home because he didn’t want to distress her.
British prosecutors maintain that Irishman Mr McGrath hatched a plan to tell police of a break-in at his rented home – and then make fraudulent £180,000 insurance claims for expensive antiques and furniture.
The 45-year-old consultant, who denies making fraudulent insurance claims, was giving evidence at Luton Crown Court. He is on trial with his 44-year-old GP wife in relation to charges of mortgage fraud. Both Mr McGrath and his wife, Anne-Louise McGrath, deny all charges.
It’s alleged by the prosecution that the couple were behind a series of fraudulent mortgage applications between 2012 and 2015 that were supported by lies and forged documents about their employment and earning potential. By early 2015, it’s claimed, the McGraths were massively in debt having purchased a large house in St Albans worth £1.1million (€1.25million).
It’s alleged Mr McGrath then came up with the idea of telling the police the home he and his family were renting on the Luton Hoo estate while they waited to move to St Albans had been burgled and that thousands of pounds worth of antiques that he had in storage at the property had been taken. As a result, he submitted a claim to his insurers for £180,000 (€205,000) in relation to items such as antiques, furniture, rugs, paintings and silverware that he claimed had been taken in the burglary. He was arrested months later on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
The jury have been told that one item he reported stolen, a 19thcentury marble fireplace, was later discovered by gardaí at his family’s house in Co. Meath. It is claimed that investigations revealed Mr McGrath had hired a van and drove it to the home in Meath around the time of the alleged break-in. Photos of the missing fireplace were allegedly taken at the Meath property.
When they were arrested, officers searched both properties and found several items Mr McGrath had reported stolen, it is claimed.
On the morning after the alleged burglary at the rented property, Mrs McGrath told a police officer that nothing had been taken.
Mr McGrath told the court: ‘I didn’t want to distress her. I think at that time she was dealing with a lot.’ He said his wife’s mother was in ill-health, there were concerns about renovation work at the home they were waiting to move into and that she was busy with their four children.
Mr McGrath agreed he also told the police officer investigating the burglary that, as well as his insurance company dealing with his
Denies £180,000 insurance fraud
claim, they should only talk to him and not his wife.
In the witness box, Mr McGrath said he had told the police and insurance claim officials that his wife had severe depression and that he feared she was suicidal. He told the court that although his wife had never been professionally diagnosed with depression, he could see she was under stress and that she had mentioned suicide in the past. ‘I took that very seriously and I didn’t see any reason to add to her stress. I wanted to protect her from concerns about the loss,’ he said.
Ms McGrath is also is said to have dishonestly failed to inform insurers that she was in possession of a pair of sapphire diamond earrings and ring that her husband had reported as stolen.
She is said to have provided the earrings and ring to an auctioneer in order for them to be sold, as a result of which she allegedly received thousands of pounds from the sale. She did this despite knowing that the items were the subject of an insurance claim and a criminal investigation, according to the prosecution.
Mr McGrath denies four charges of fraud and one of perverting the course of public justice. Mrs McGrath denies five charges of fraud and one of perverting the course of public justice.