Bank worker Amy Olding, 33, from Bromley, London, has been spared jail after trying to scam global banking firm Investec out of bogus headhunting fees
A bank worker who tried to fleece her employers out of more than £30,000 and blamed her ‘corrosive’ relationship with her wife for the crime has been spared jail.
Amy Olding, 33, was said to have teamed up with Camilla Forrest, 32, to scam global banking firm Investec out of bogus headhunting fees.
Olding, who worked for Investec’s HR team, tried to pocket £33,480 by submitting fake invoices to her own department.
However as soon as Investec contacted Olding about the invoices she admitted the fraudulent conduct.
Earlier this year Olding’s partner, Forrest, who worked as a waitress at the City of London gentlemen’s club For Your Eyes Only, was cleared of fraud charges at Southwark Crown Court.
Forrest had been accused of assisting Olding by setting up a recruitment firm called City Search Partner and sending false invoices to her partner at the bank.
Explaining the fraud, prosecutor James Murray-Smith said: ‘It was the setting up of a company which submitted invoices for recruitment work that was not carried out.
‘There were four invoices totaling £33,000, or thereabouts, over the course of a month.
‘The invoices did not reflect work done – in fact these staff members were recruited directly by Investec.
Camilla Forrest (left) and Amy Olding (right) tried to pocket £33,480 by submitting fake invoices to Investec
‘At all times Ms Olding has admitted, both to her employers and the police, this fraudulent conduct.
‘Ms Olding offered to repay the money as soon as Investec contacted her about these invoices.’
The court heard Investec was able to freeze the money before it made its way to the City Search Partner bank account and the company suffered no loss as a result of the fraud.
Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said: ‘It is abuse of power, trust and responsibility – it is as simple as that.
‘But life is not simple. The fact remains that your case was that the other defendant, Ms Forrest, was very much involved in this.’
Mr Murray-Smith replied: ‘That was always the prosecution’s case,’
Forrest, who was accused of setting up a recruitment firm called City Search Partner and using the company to invoice bogus recruitment services to Olding, was cleared last month
Alistair Richardson, defending Olding, said: ‘It was motivated by their corrosive and controlling relationship.
‘There are elements of exploitation and it being for Camilla Forrest’s benefit rather than her own.
‘The remorse and regret is obvious throughout everything, her approach has been one of full disclosure. Against that, a corrosive relationship that was destructive.’
Sentencing Olding, judge Loraine-Smith said: ‘You are 33-years-old, a woman of good character.
‘You are a decent, hard working woman who ordinarily would not think of acting dishonestly in any way.
‘You did act completely out of character under the influence of your then wife.
‘There was a degree of sophistication in the way you abused that trust but I accept that you were exploited by another to an appreciable extent.
‘I have no doubt that you are deeply remorseful for what happened here.’
The couple tied the knot on June 1, 2013, at The Old Marylebone Town Hall, which has previously hosted two of Sir Paul McCartney’s weddings, and held a reception at the Savoy.
But their relationship has since faced difficulties, the court heard.
Camilla Forrest (left), who also worked with Virgin Atlantic, denied one charge of fraud and was cleared earlier this year. Pictured: Camilla Forrest with YouTube personality Caspar Lee
Forrest, of Oxted, Surrey, denied one charge of fraud and the charge was dropped.
Olding, of St Peter’s Heights, Bromley, admitted fraud by false representation and another count of fraud by abuse of position between February 2017 and March of that same year.
She was handed a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.
She was also told to pay £100 in prosecution costs.
- A previous version of this article referred to Camilla Forrest’s occupation as a stripper. We have since been advised that her role at the club For Your Eyes Only was as a hostess, which we are happy to make clear.