Woman accused of aiding bank theft was in serious debt

A woman accused of helping a bank manager from the Black Country steal £480,000 from a wealthy customer's account was in serious debt at the time, a court heard.

Niranjnaben Patel, aged 39, had racked up thousands of pounds worth of debt on credit cards and overdrafts, a jury at Birmingham Crown Court was told.

She denies conspiracy to steal along with Parminder Bhachu, aged 42, of Craddock Road, Smethwick, who was a customer business manager at Barclays Bank in Soho Road, Birmingham..

Businessman Satwinder Ghattaura, 43, of Woodlands Road, Moseley, also denies the charge along with Puspaben Patel, 36, of Baldwins Lane, Hall Green, who is the sister of Niranjnaben, of Manor Road, Streetly.

Prosecutor Shenaz Muzaffer told the jury Niranjnaben Patel owed more than £20,000 on a variety of cards. She told jurors: "She was experiencing financial problems and had letters from debt agencies in her house."

Earlier, Mrs Muzaffer told the jury Niranjnaben Patel ran a catering business and had claimed a payment of £24,500 into her bank account was a deposit from a customer.

However, the prosecutor alleged that payment was in fact an attempt to launder the money which had been stolen from the customer.

The jury has heard how the attempt to steal came to light in February 2009 when Barclays customer Barbara Siembida, of London, noticed money was missing.

It is alleged Bhachu, who had access to bank accounts at any branch, had accessed Barbara Siembida's account on a number of occasions in 2008 and 2009.

Mrs Muzaffer had told the jury: "She was the 'inside man' at the bank."

She is also said to have temporarily changed Ms Siembida's address on her account to one associated with Ghattaura in Bromsgrove, allowing her co-accused internet access to the money in the account.

Puspaben Patel is accused of pretending to be Ms Siembida to authorise the transfer of cash. The trial continues.