A FAMILY enjoyed luxury Disney holidays in France and the US after a mum had conned a top chef out of £150,000.

Mother-of-five Nicola Nightingale, 47, stole from Abergavenny chef Stephen Terry, who was Gordon Ramsay's best man, over a two-year period between 2018 and 2020.

Her husband Simon Nightingale, 50, is on trial for allegedly pocketing £46,000 of that money from Mr Terry who owns the award-winning Hardwick restaurant.

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Nicola Nightingale was hired to look after its finances but was soon stealing money by paying herself an inflated wage, creating fake invoices and taking out loans in the business’ name.

A jury was told that executive chef Simon Nightingale was earning £55,000 a year and his wife £13,000 in her part-time job at the Hardwick.

South Wales Argus:

Stephen Terry who owns the award-winning Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny. Image: Athena Picture Agency

During the time of her fraud, Cardiff Crown Court heard the Nightingale family went on holiday to Disney World in Orlando, twice to Disneyland Paris as well as to France to stay in a gite.

The couple also went on two trips together to Marrakesh in Morocco.

Simon Nightingale told the court his adult children would pay their own way because they were working.

“When you were in Disney World Florida, your wife was on her laptop taking money from Mr and Mrs Terry,” prosecutor Thomas Stanway told him.

The couple's daughter Jasmine, who worked shifts as a waitress at the Hardwick, gave evidence.

She said her mum had been abusing alcohol and had control over the family’s finances.

Their daughter told the jury: "My mum was heavily drinking wine and gin. She was bad. She was nasty, argumentative.

"You didn't want to be around her. She drank every day. It would start when she came home from work at around 3.30pm until she passed out."

The court heard Jasmine, who also worked as a barista for Costa Coffee, was made to pay rent while living in the family home.

She said: "My mum was responsible for the finances. More or less all of the time. My mum was in complete control of everything we bought and everywhere we went.

"I would not ask my dad for money because I would get a lecture from him saying that I can't keep asking for money.

"I gave money for rent and for holidays. It was my mum's idea. My mum would make every decision."

Nicola Nightingale, formerly of Church Road, Gilwern, near Abergavenny, has pleaded guilty to fraud.

Simon Nightingale, formerly of the same address, denies possessing criminal property.

He claims that he had no idea his wife was swindling Mr Terry.

The trial continues.