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| Four accused of £1.3m Bermuda government fraud | Four accused of £1.3m Bermuda government fraud |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Welsh accountant and his ex-headmistress wife fiddled £1.3m from the Bermuda government to buy luxury cars and properties, a court has heard. | A Welsh accountant and his ex-headmistress wife fiddled £1.3m from the Bermuda government to buy luxury cars and properties, a court has heard. |
| Jeffrey and Samantha Bevan, of Cwmbran, are accused of laundering proceeds of £1.7m ($2.4m) stolen cash to spend on a lavish lifestyle. | Jeffrey and Samantha Bevan, of Cwmbran, are accused of laundering proceeds of £1.7m ($2.4m) stolen cash to spend on a lavish lifestyle. |
| Joel Ismail, 42, and Paul Charity, 52, both of Leicester, are also accused of taking part in the fraud. | Joel Ismail, 42, and Paul Charity, 52, both of Leicester, are also accused of taking part in the fraud. |
| They denied all charges at Cardiff Crown Court. | They denied all charges at Cardiff Crown Court. |
| The court heard Mr Bevan, a qualified accountant, began illegally taking taxpayers' money after moving his family to Bermuda in 2011. | |
| The 50-year-old moved for a £80,000-a-year job as payments manager in the office of the Accountant General of Bermuda while his 52-year-old wife became a teacher in a Bermuda school. | The 50-year-old moved for a £80,000-a-year job as payments manager in the office of the Accountant General of Bermuda while his 52-year-old wife became a teacher in a Bermuda school. |
| The father-of-two is accused of making 52 bogus payments to himself before illegally transferring the money back to the UK in the name of the married couple. | The father-of-two is accused of making 52 bogus payments to himself before illegally transferring the money back to the UK in the name of the married couple. |
| The jury was told Mr Bevan quit his job after less than three years to move back to Wales - blaming his mother's poor health and the children's schooling - after having bought luxury Mercedes cars and a series of property investments around Britain. | The jury was told Mr Bevan quit his job after less than three years to move back to Wales - blaming his mother's poor health and the children's schooling - after having bought luxury Mercedes cars and a series of property investments around Britain. |
| "Mr Bevan was dishonestly involved in the fraudulent transfer of nearly $2.5m of money belonging to the Bermudan people, which had been covered up by being in the names of other organisations," said prosecutor Tim Evans. | "Mr Bevan was dishonestly involved in the fraudulent transfer of nearly $2.5m of money belonging to the Bermudan people, which had been covered up by being in the names of other organisations," said prosecutor Tim Evans. |
| An investigation in Bermuda uncovered a series of bogus payments including £65,000 ($89,000) to Chevron International and another for £52,000 ($71,000) to the Sylvia Richardson Care facility, the court heard. | An investigation in Bermuda uncovered a series of bogus payments including £65,000 ($89,000) to Chevron International and another for £52,000 ($71,000) to the Sylvia Richardson Care facility, the court heard. |
| "Mr Bevan had gone by then," Mr Evans added. "He went because he knew that he was about to be rumbled for a massive fraud." | "Mr Bevan had gone by then," Mr Evans added. "He went because he knew that he was about to be rumbled for a massive fraud." |
| It showed payments had been made into the couple's HSBC account in Bermuda. | It showed payments had been made into the couple's HSBC account in Bermuda. |
| Mr Bevan claimed the payments were for overtime while working for the Bermuda government. | Mr Bevan claimed the payments were for overtime while working for the Bermuda government. |
| He said he was on £295 ($400) per hour working 35-hours a week but then worked 50 hours on top of that each week. | He said he was on £295 ($400) per hour working 35-hours a week but then worked 50 hours on top of that each week. |
| Mr Evans said: "His defence will be that every cent of the $2.4 million was effectively overtime, over and above his basic and overtime hours, presumably tax free, and paid voluntarily and legitimately by the Bermudan government." | Mr Evans said: "His defence will be that every cent of the $2.4 million was effectively overtime, over and above his basic and overtime hours, presumably tax free, and paid voluntarily and legitimately by the Bermudan government." |
| Mr Evans said members of the Bermudan government would give evidence against Mr Bevan "about how ridiculous his claim is". | Mr Evans said members of the Bermudan government would give evidence against Mr Bevan "about how ridiculous his claim is". |
| Cash transferred from the government account was allegedly used to buy cars and properties in Newport, Swansea, Glasgow and Nottingham. | Cash transferred from the government account was allegedly used to buy cars and properties in Newport, Swansea, Glasgow and Nottingham. |
| The married couple are also accused of using money to pay off their £140,000 mortgage. | The married couple are also accused of using money to pay off their £140,000 mortgage. |
| Mr Evans said Mrs Bevan must have realised something was going on by seeing the money pour into their joint account. | Mr Evans said Mrs Bevan must have realised something was going on by seeing the money pour into their joint account. |
| "She is an intelligent woman," Mr Evans told the court. | "She is an intelligent woman," Mr Evans told the court. |
| "Her husband had amassed large amounts of money and she must have at the very least suspected that it was the proceeds of dishonest criminal conduct." | "Her husband had amassed large amounts of money and she must have at the very least suspected that it was the proceeds of dishonest criminal conduct." |
| Mr Evans told the jury Mr Bevan was being prosecuted for the £1.3m ($1.7m) which "found its way to the UK" but not the $441,995 he allegedly spent while still in Bermuda. | Mr Evans told the jury Mr Bevan was being prosecuted for the £1.3m ($1.7m) which "found its way to the UK" but not the $441,995 he allegedly spent while still in Bermuda. |
| "Given that the original crimes alleged against him were on Bermuda soil he cannot be prosecuted for those back in the UK," Mr Evans said. | "Given that the original crimes alleged against him were on Bermuda soil he cannot be prosecuted for those back in the UK," Mr Evans said. |
| Mr and Mrs Bevan deny 13 counts of converting criminal property and three counts of transferring criminal property. | Mr and Mrs Bevan deny 13 counts of converting criminal property and three counts of transferring criminal property. |
| Friend Mr Ismail and financial advisor Mr Charity deny converting criminal property. | Friend Mr Ismail and financial advisor Mr Charity deny converting criminal property. |
| Mr Charity, who is accused of deleting e-mails to conceal them from the police investigation, also denies perverting the course of justice. | Mr Charity, who is accused of deleting e-mails to conceal them from the police investigation, also denies perverting the course of justice. |
| The trail continues. | The trail continues. |