Dudley secretary faked papers for mortgage frauds bid

A secretary downloaded fake documents from the internet which her boss then used for two fraudulent mortgage applications worth nearly £1 million, a court heard.

Gaynor Grundy, aged 64, used a now-closed website to download fake P60 tax certificates and payslips in the names of her employer Carl Hughes and his ex-wife Kerry Hughes.

Mr Hughes then used the documents to submit mortgage applications for his house in September 2009, the first was is in his name for £500,000 and the second in his ex-wife's for £450,000. Both were refused.

Back in March, 45-year-old Mr Hughes, of Pool Lane, Brocton,near Stafford, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud at Stafford Crown Court. One of the documents revealed him to be earning about £145,000 a year.

Grundy, of Longmeadow Drive, Dudley, appeared at the crown court yesterday.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of making and supplying articles which could then be used for fraud.

She was expected to face a trial over two charges of fraud and four charges of making and supplying articles for fraud.

But, following talks between her solicitor and the prosecutor, the list of charges was reduced to two and she pleaded guilty to both.

The wording of the charges stated she "knew or believed they (the documents) were designed for use in fraud".

She claimed she did not know the documents would be used for a mortgage application.

In a statement read out in court by her defence solicitor Elizabeth Power, Grundy said she had got embroiled in the crime because Hughes was her employer.

She said the criminal process had taught her a lesson.

Judge Mark Eades adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports and remanded Grundy on unconditional bail.

She will be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on the week of July 2.

Hughes is also on unconditional bail and will be sentenced at the same court.

By Alex Ross