The Hardwick: Kent man denies part in restaurant theft

The Hardwick restaurant is run by former Michelin star chef Stephen Terry

The husband of a bookkeeper who stole £150,000 from a former Michelin star chef has told a court he had "no idea" his bank account was used in the fraud.

More than £46,000 was paid into the account of Simon Nightingale, 50, of Deal, Kent, by his wife Nicola.

He denies acquiring criminal property from The Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Mrs Nightingale has already pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Newport Magistrates Court.

She worked as an administrator at the restaurant owned by Stephen Terry, who trained under celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.

The couple got back together after a three-year separation shortly before Mrs Nightingale took the restaurant job, the court heard.

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Between February 2018 and May 2020, she transferred £150,000 into different accounts, including £46,741 to her husband's current account.

Mr Nightingale, an executive chef, told Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday he often worked away during the week so his wife "took charge" of his bank account, into which her wages were also paid.

He said her wage varied and he did not know what she earned.

Stephen Terry has appeared on the BBC's Great British Menu

Asked whether he ever questioned his wife over any payments into the account, which varied between £100 and £1,617, he replied: "I had no need to. Nicola told me it was her wages. The figure, over a period of time, is not scary."

He accepted the "vast majority of the £46,000 was not meant" for him, but said he had been unable to distinguish between his and his wife's wages.

Asked whether it would have been easy to question his wife, he said: "No. I didn't want to wake the bear and end up in the same situation as we were before."

Mr Nightingale said he was "disappointed and disgusted" when he learned from police of his wife's crime.

Despite the account being regularly overdrawn, the couple, who had five children, went on holidays to Florida, Morocco and France.

Mr Nightingale said he "trusted" his wife to book the trips and did not believe the holidays to be outside their means.

Thomas Stanway, prosecuting, also put to Mr Nightingale that there was "twice as much money" coming into the household than was being earned.

He replied: "Not that I was aware of. In reality now, we know that, but at the time I was not aware."

The trial continues.