A crooked care home owner has been found guilty of swindling an insurance company by lying about the cost of storm damage to his failing business.
David Simpson had his whole roof repaired despite only one corner of his building being damaged by the freak summer storm.
He went on to claim thousands of pounds for loss of business even though only one room was put out of service and others did not even have residents at the time.
The businessmen set up a false paper trail to try to cover his tracks and even persuaded the roofer to sign a letter backing up his web of lies.
He blamed the roofer and his accountant and said he may have made a few honest mistakes in his claims but never intended to defraud the insurer.
A jury at Exeter Crown Court rejected his story and found him guilty of two frauds.
Simpson, aged 57, of Rattycombe Farm, Chudleigh, denied but was convicted of fraudulently claiming £8,550 for roofing, and £47,052.52 for loss of earnings.
A further charge of swindling £4,400 for internal repairs was thrown out by the Judge during the week-long trial.
The prosecution alleged Simpson needed the money to prop up the failing Bessmount House Home in Rose Hill, Kingskerwell, which was in financial difficulties and later went into administration.
Roofer Derek Marchant from Plymouth said he was asked to change his quote so it looked as if the £8,500 cost was for repairing storm damage rather than a whole new roof.
Insurance company Aviva sent in investigators because they became suspicious about the size of the claim for loss of earnings.
Simpson told them council health officials had ordered him to stop using four or five rooms but when they checked with Teignbridge Council they heard a different story.
Simpson ran the home for elderly people, many with dementia, until 2011. He insisted the claims were honest and the figure for loss of earnings came from his accountant.
The insurance company paid out almost £16,000 before stopping further payments and calling in the police.
Recorder Mr Paul Garlick, QC, adjourned the case for a probation report. He said:"I need to know more about how his circumstances have changed since these offences were carried out in 2008."
↧