The Hardwick: Simon Nightingale denies part in fraud

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

A bookkeeper who stole £150,000 from a former Michelin star chef was an "alcoholic" who "ran family finances", her daughter said.

Nicola Nightingale was an administrator at The Hardwick Restaurant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Mrs Nightingale has already pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.

Her husband Simon Nightingale, 50, of Deal, Kent, denies acquiring criminal property and is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

He had more than £46,000 from the restaurant paid into his account by his wife, the court heard.

Mrs Nightingale worked for restaurant owner Stephen Terry, who trained under celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.

On Wednesday, Cardiff Crown Court heard that Mrs Nightingale paid money into her own bank accounts and accounts belonging to her husband and daughter.

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 the court 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

The court heard Jasmine Nightingale, 22, moved with her family into a house they were renting in Gilwern, Monmouthshire, in 2017 when her parents were separated.

The couple got back together after a three-year separation in early 2018 but often still argued, with Ms Nightingale describing her mother as "horrible".

"She resented my father and was a nasty person - argumentative and bitter," she said.

She told the court she started working at the restaurant in February 2018 as a waitress and worked about 25 shifts.

Her mother had started working at the restaurant as an office administrator shortly before and had organised the work and her pay, Ms Nightingale said.

'Mum made every decision'

When defence barrister Martin Taylor asked if the relationship between her mother and father improved between 2018 and 2019, she said: "It got worse.

"Mum drank every day after work from 15:30 until she passed out. Dad would ask her to stop drinking but she wouldn't."

She said her mother was in control of the finances and would make "every decision".

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Prosecutor Thomas Stanway asked whether the tenancy on the house in Gilwern and the bills were all sorted by her father.

She told him the money came out of the family account - her father's - which she only became aware of when she asked her mother which account to pay her rent into.

"She told me put it into dad's account because that's the family account where the bills are paid from," she said.

Mr Stanway asked: "Your mum was so horrible, but you still went to her for money. It was your dad who was giving you money wasn't it?"

"No," she replied.

He continued: "You went on holiday to Euro Disney in Paris twice, Disney World and your parents went to Morocco even though they were at each other's throats? And a holiday to Orlando is not cheap?"

Ms Nightingale said: "It was done on a budget. Things had settled down a bit between my parents, but it wasn't great."

She told the prosecution she did not question why her mother had quit the restaurant in March 2020 despite staff being furloughed.

She also denied moving back to Kent because of the allegations against Mrs Nightingale and that she is trying to protect her father.

The trial continues.