Pair took £400,000 from care home job

Court: Money was spent on holidays and even a lavish wedding

Two mums who set up a sophisticated fraud to take more than £400,000 from their care home employers - and spend their loot on holidays and a lavish wedding - have been locked up for more than three years. Melissa Obradovic and Rebecca Purnell, who were working as administrators at LonguevilleCourtCareHome, took a total of £426,140.90 .

On Monday they appeared at Peterborough CrownCourt after pleading guilty to fraud.

They were both jailed for three years and four months.

Jonathan Masters, prosecuting, told the court Obradovic (27) of ElmClose, Yaxley, had admitted two frauds. The first, which involved taking £54,266 from the care home - run by Barchester Health Care .

The fraud involved Obradovic using the details of four former employees to set up payments into her own account.

The fraud was only discovered whenHMRCgotintouch with the four people chasing up tax. The court wastold one victim, now a nurse at Peterborough City Hospital, became so stressed as a result of theactionbyHMRCshehadto take time off work ill.

While investigations into that fraud were taking place, investigators discovered the £ 400,000 fraud. Both Obradovic and Purnell (33) of Sydney Road, Peterborough, formed a false suppliers company, and over a four year period sent false invoices to Barchester HealthCare, pocketing the money.

Mr Masters said the money was spent on holidays and even a ’lavish wedding’ for Purnell.

Hesaidalmostall the money had now been spent.

Judge David Farrell, sentencing, said: “This was a very sophisticated fraud involving anumberoftransactionsover a significant period of time”

He added:” The company has clearly suffered. It has affected its reputation and has not been able to spend money on refurbishments and other things it wouldliketoimprove resident’s lives.”

Nenad Spasojevic, defending Obradovic, said the mother-of-onehadshownremorse, and regretted her actions.

Helen Jones, defending Purnell - who has one daughter of her own, and two children f rom her husband’s previous relationship - said her client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and also expressed remorse.

Proceedings to reclaim the money have started.

Rebecca Purnell (Cambridgeshire police had no photo of Obradovic) who worked at Longueville Court Care Home.