Soldier at centre of £1m fraud got a job applying for government grants after Army swindle was exposed

A SOLDIER astatine the centre of a £1million fraud got a occupation applying for authorities grants aft his Army swindle was exposed, a tribunal heard.

Cpl Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, 33, was hired by UK steadfast Grantify wherever helium wowed civilian bosses with his knack for getting government cash.

At the clip the erstwhile wage clerk had been charged with fraud and money laundering worth £911,608 – but had not yet been convicted.

Defence counsel Jonathan Rose told the court: “There is thing to suggest that Grantify are thing different than a morganatic concern and they are impressed with Mr Stelmach Purdie.

“He appears to beryllium peculiarly skilled astatine getting money, which is somewhat ironic.”

Stelmach-Purdie, of Oldham, made hundreds of bogus claims for flights, nutrient and allowances erstwhile helium was based astatine Regents Park Barracks, a classified antagonistic coercion basal successful London.

He bought luxury watches, Louboutin shoes, a “Pimp my Ride” Range Rover Overfinch and plastic country successful Turkey including six-pack implants, teeth whitening and hairsbreadth transplants, jurors astatine Southwark Crown Court were told.

Five erstwhile comrades person admitted their parts successful the fraud betwixt Dec 2014 and Jan 2016..

They see Sgt Alan O’Neil, 47,of Droitwich, Worcs, Sgt Peter Wilson, 55, of Kidderminster, Wilts, movements clerk Ant Sharwood, 38, of Bromsgrove, Worcs, and Lauren O’Brien, 37, of Larkhill, Wilts.

They person each present near the forces.

A serving worker who cannot beryllium named besides pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of wealth laundering.

Two erstwhile soldiers, LSgt Lee Richards, 41, and LCpl Amy Sheldon, 37, contradict conspiracy to perpetrate fraud and transferring transgression property.

They are presently connected proceedings with civilian Simon Lees, 31, of Oldham, who denies laundering implicit £270,000 done his slope accounts wrong the abstraction of six months.

Stelmach-Purdie revealed his Grantify relation erstwhile helium changed his plea to blameworthy and asked the tribunal to easiness his ankle-tag bail conditions.

Mr Rose told the jury: “He has a tag connected him. He has a curfew.

“He asked for support for that tag to beryllium released due to the fact that helium had immoderate enactment with a institution that is doing immoderate enactment successful the US and helium wanted to beryllium successful the offices successful England precocious astatine night, truthful helium was connected US time.”

Grantify says it has helped businesses “win tens of millions worthy of authorities grants,” the tribunal was told.

The proceedings continues.