British mum facing six-year jail term over ‘£9m holiday food poison scam’

02 December 2023 , 16:40

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Laura Joyce faces charges of aggravated fraud along with her brother and six other Brits (Image: Splash News)

A British mum is facing at least six years in jail along with her brother and six others over an alleged holiday food poisoning scam.

Laura Joyce could go to prison for the alleged scam which cost hotel groups in Majorca, Spain around £9million. Hotel bosses are now demanding the mum-of-three face six-and-a-half years behind bars for what they claim is the running of an organised gang which hit three hotel chains. The 44-year-old was allegedly in charge of using middlemen encouraging holidaymakers to fake illnesses and claim compensation. Laura and brother Marc Cameron Grimstead were accused in court of forming the "profit-motivated organised gang" and are now facing trial alongside six others.

Laura Joyce could face at least six years behind bars if she is found guilty (Solarpix.com)

Those six other Brits were named in court as Ryan Bridges, Simon Robert Flanagan, Tegan Jewel Sumerlee, Susan Amanda Lyle, Nicola Marie Sanderson, and Peter Carl Murphy. Inspectors investigating the case believe the hotels targeted by the alleged group were rinsed of £9.5million between 2016 and 2017. Laura, who was charged under the name Cameron, had been warned earlier this year of the possibility of receiving a higher sentence should she be found guilty of being the ringleader of the supposed gang. A seven-page document delivered to court from the Majorca Hoteliers Federation outlined their requested sentences for each member, The Sun reported.

The Majorca Hoteliers Federation are hoping for a six-and-a-half year sentence on two charges of aggravated fraud and belonging to a criminal gang should Laura be found guilty. They also submitted a request for a five-year sentence for brother Marc, who was charged with aggravated fraud and membership of a criminal gang. Further Brits involved with the case were given suggested sentences, if found guilty, of three years and nine months for aggravated fraud and organised gang membership charges.

But larger sentences could be passed should it be proven in court the gang managed to defraud the hotel chains of more than €400,000. At least eight years in jail could be handed to some of the defendants should the sum of cash be higher than this. Currently, losses are being calculated for the hotel chains at €1,243million (£1.069 million).

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A six-page ruling issued by a court in Majorca said: "The gang specialised in obtaining the details of British tourists in all-inclusive hotels in Majorca it convinced, through a form they themselves elaborated, to falsely claim they had been ill during their stay in one of those hotels and be able to claim compensation in the UK."

Ewan Gleadow