£37k transfer ‘like taking candy from a baby’ – court
AMAN transferred a total of £37,000 from his mother-inlaw’s bank account into a cafe business account in a fraud which was like “taking candy from a baby”, a court heard.
Anthony Greenhalgh, 60, is on trial for fraud by abuse of position, which he denies.
A jury at Mold Crown Court heard that Greenhalgh, an accountant by trade, was in charge of the finances of his mother-in-law Patricia Seaman, who had moved into the family home.
But, after financial difficulties, he put money in instalments into the account of the Leader’s Cafe which he and his then wife Theresa ran, it was claimed.
The court heard that Mrs Seaman and another daughter eventually approached the defendant’s wife Theresa Greenhalgh and asked where the money had gone. Police were then called in.
The court heard Greenhalgh and his wife married in 2002 and divorced in 2019.
Prosecutor John Philpotts said there were withdrawals ranging from £2,000 to £20,000 from Mrs Seaman’s account into the Leader’s Cafe account, totalling £47,000, from 2015 to 2017.
On one occasion, £10,000 was refunded to Mrs Seaman’s account but Mrs Seaman lost a total of £37,000, the court heard.
Mr Philpotts said: “It must have been – I’m not being flippant – like taking candy from the proverbial baby.”
When Mrs Seaman and one of her daughters Deborah Cleverley decided to “grasp the nettle” and approach Greenhalgh about the withdrawals, he denied all knowledge of them.
He also claimed he had been “put up to it” by his then wife Theresa, the court heard.
He said he intended to repay the money and all transfers were with Mrs Seaman’s permission, it was claimed. He suggested they go to the police – which they did.
In court, the prosecutor asked Theresa Greenhalgh how she felt about the alleged fraud. She said she “felt sick, looking at my mum’s face, that the money had gone. She did not know where it was.”
Richard Bridgen, representing Greenhalgh, claimed Theresa Greenhalgh knew their family and businesses’ finances, which included an aesthetics firm she ran, were “in chaos”.
He said messages between the former couple showed they were talking about “remortgaging and clearing debt”.
Theresa Greenhalgh accepted this indicated there were financial problems. But she said she trusted her husband, who is a trained accountant.
Mr Bridgen suggested Theresa Greenhalgh accused her former husband of taking her mum’s money and he denied it. “That’s what he said,” she told the court.
Anthony – also known as Tony – Greenhalgh, of Mostyn Avenue, Craig-y-Don, Llandudno, denies fraud by abuse of position.
The trial continues.