Salisbury couple jailed after insurance fraud burglary

Graham Mundy and his partner Joanna Beames were jailed for just over two years at Salisbury Crown Court

A couple who faked a burglary and then took £120,000 in insurance payments have been jailed for two years.

Graeme Mundy called police to his home in Homington, Wiltshire, in January 2019 to report the theft, adding that jewellery and laptops had been stolen.

The 52-year-old spent the insurance money on his business and gave £30,000 to his partner, Joanna Beames, 34.

Wiltshire Police said it was a "serious case" that required "lengthy investigation".

Following the report of the burglary, Mundy was paid £121,248.31 by insurers in March 2019.

But the plot was foiled when police discovered that Beames, who works in the insurance industry, had successfully claimed money for a diamond ring in 2018 that Mundy also reported stolen in the 2019 burglary.

'Very serious offence'

Officers also found that photos of the rings had been taken after Mundy claimed they had been lost.

After searching the house in August 2019, police found and seized most of the property that Mundy claimed was stolen during the burglary.

Mundy, now of Old Blandford Road, Salisbury, and Beames, of the same address, were both jailed for 26 months at Salisbury Crown Court.

They had admitted fraud by false representation and perverting the course of justice at the same court in December.

Det Con Ben Brewster said: "This may be perceived as a victimless crime and the desperate actions of two people in financial difficulty but it is a very serious offence.

"Incidents like this cost the insurance industry millions of pounds every year, not to mention the wasting of police time to investigate what was believed to be a significant burglary."