£1 million Monmouth fraud couple's £305 payback

7:20am Monday 15th October 2012 in Gwent news Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Natalie Crockett

Bryan McNaught and Sarah Harris Bryan McNaught and Sarah Harris

A COUPLE who swindled more than £1.1 million, including £60,000 inheritance from their children, were ordered to pay back just £305.

Bryan McNaught, 46, made £834,601.68 by defrauding credit card, banks and mortgage lenders from April 2003 to April 2009, but will pay back just £5 because he has no assets.

Along with his partner Sarah Harris, 39, who benefited to the tune of £278,887.68 for the same offences, Former Monmouth man McNaught also defrauded the couple’s two teenagers out of £30,000 each, which was left to them by their grandfather.

McNaught, of Purton Place, Lydney, Gloucestershire, appeared at Newport Crown Court yesterday for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Harris, of Claypatch Road, Monmouth, who sat alongside him in the dock, will have to pay back £300.

In March 2011, McNaught was jailed for 36 months and Harris to 52 weeks suspended for two years, after they earlier admitted a number of fraud offences over six years.

The pair claimed to be barristers and football agents to fraudulently re-mortgage an £180,000 home in Caerleon, and took out a £300,00 mortgage after Harris claimed she owned a stake in an international football development.

Earlier this year the pair, who lived in Redbrook at the time of the offences, were then jailed for 15 months after being convicted of defrauding their teenage children out of £60,000 in 2012.

During their trial, the court heard the money was left to Harris by her dad who was diagnosed with a terminal illness in November 2009.

She convinced him to instead leave the cash to her children, but later used the money to pay off debts and buy a motorbike.

Harris must pay the £300 money in 28 days, while McNaught has three months to pay £5. If they fail to pay they could be jailed.

Comments(14)

chris227 says...
8:00am Mon 15 Oct 12

sentence them both to five years living in newport

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Mervyn James says...
9:36am Mon 15 Oct 12

Typical, the punishment never fits the crime.... I'd give them life. (Probably in Rngland or Alway)... we have to send out the right message....

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sperduti says...
11:17am Mon 15 Oct 12

no wonder people commit fraud cheating benefits as they know they wont have to pay it back !!! if they cant they should be given tougher jail sentences !!!! it is disgusting to take hard working tax payers money!!!! greed just pure greed!!!

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cwmbran man says...
11:26am Mon 15 Oct 12

lol 3 months to pay £5, the british court system is a laughing stock.

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Lliswerry Man says...
1:24pm Mon 15 Oct 12

A few of you on here should take a long look in the mirror before you comment, your NOT all that.

Firstly what is so wrong with living in Ringland or Alway? I have owned properties in both areas and found it a lot more friendly than some "so called" private estates.

And secondly, where in the story does it mention benefit fraud? it does not, they were Working Fraudsters, YES working... so stop trying to label every crime as something carried out by people with less opportunites than yourself, or do you get off on it?

Get off your soap boxes and make a difference IF YOU THINK you can do better. Go moan at your MP to get the law changed so that fraudsters like this get dealt with more harshly, or in a way YOU think they should be dealt with.

Far too many keyboard warriors on the SWA webpages of late, who appear to have nothing better to do than sit at home **ss and moan at every story.

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samantha-- says...
6:05pm Mon 15 Oct 12

This is my mum and dad, and you lot dont no half of whats gone on, you all just read a load of rubbish published by the papers who dont know the half of whats gone on and what kind of man my dad was and what mum went through for 19 years. None of this is my mums fault she is good honset women who iam so proud to call my mum. she has got nothing to be ashamed of and should hold her head high !!!! me and my brother both stood up in court not because we was told to by our parents but because we know that THEY did nothing wrong, if i had a problem with my mum and dad using the money dont you think that we would have gone to the police ourselves and made a compliant. I watched an innocent women go to prison for 4 months for something that she didnt do in my eyes that's DISGUSTING.
You people know nothing thats gone on and get your facts right before you start making comments and consider how me and my brother feel that our mum and dad are being ACCUSED and judged for stealing money off us! oh and by the way it was mortgage fraud not benefit fraud!

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TK355 says...
6:24pm Mon 15 Oct 12

X dumb pc

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cwmbran man says...
6:36pm Mon 15 Oct 12

Frauds fraud kiddo, mortgage or otherwise, theyre still crooked, they may well be nice crooks, but crooks all the same, i imagine you have done reasonably well out of the million, and not holding a grudge about the 30k is admirable, hope you all get over this and learn from your mistakes.

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spice15 says...
6:54pm Mon 15 Oct 12

Well I think it is dispicable what they have done, and how they can sleep at night I don't know, thieving magpies. This justice system needs to get its arse in gear and come up with suitable punishments for crimes like this. No wonder there is so much crime - people know they will just get away with it. I also think that if they are now living on taxpayers money then they should work for every penny they get from the government.

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Limestonecowboy says...
6:57pm Mon 15 Oct 12

Criminals in suits.

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chris227 says...
8:49pm Mon 15 Oct 12

YEAH MERV what's wrong with Ringland and Allway , they are Newports answer to Clifton in Bristol - please explain.

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Cymru Am Beth says...
10:42am Tue 16 Oct 12

I wouldn't be surprised if some of this money has been hidden away somewhere.
In America they would have probably got 10 years.
This Country is a laughing stock when it comes to punishment.

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Cymru Am Beth says...
10:45am Tue 16 Oct 12

samantha-- wrote:
This is my mum and dad, and you lot dont no half of whats gone on, you all just read a load of rubbish published by the papers who dont know the half of whats gone on and what kind of man my dad was and what mum went through for 19 years. None of this is my mums fault she is good honset women who iam so proud to call my mum. she has got nothing to be ashamed of and should hold her head high !!!! me and my brother both stood up in court not because we was told to by our parents but because we know that THEY did nothing wrong, if i had a problem with my mum and dad using the money dont you think that we would have gone to the police ourselves and made a compliant. I watched an innocent women go to prison for 4 months for something that she didnt do in my eyes that's DISGUSTING. You people know nothing thats gone on and get your facts right before you start making comments and consider how me and my brother feel that our mum and dad are being ACCUSED and judged for stealing money off us! oh and by the way it was mortgage fraud not benefit fraud!
So that's alright then, "it was mortgage fraud not benefit fraud".
And you state that they "did nothing wrong."
Absolute joke.

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county mad says...
11:51am Tue 16 Oct 12

It's theft pure and simple . The penalty is a joke which is why this country seems to be the fiddling capitol of the world

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