14 May 2024 , 21:53
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Jamie Parker-Evans was head chef at Capel Grange Nursing Home in Newport, Wales, when he ’signed for items for the home’ but kept them for himself, a court heard
An award-winning chef who once cooked for Sir Paul McCartney defrauded his nursing home employer of more than £3,600.
Jamie Parker-Evans, also known as Jamie Parker, was head chef at Capel Grange Nursing Home in Newport when he carried out the fraud. He had earlier in his career won an award for excellence in catering at the Wales Care Awards in 2022 and cooked for the musician in his time as a chef at the Celtic Manor Resort.
But his reputation was left in shatters after he was caught defrauding the not-for-profit home. He admitted "signing for items bought for the care home but retaining them for his own personal possession" and intending to sell on the items — which were valued at £3,611 — for his own gain, Newport Magistrates’ Court was told.
The judge imposed a 22-week jail term suspended for 12 months as well as 180 hours of unpaid work and 12 days of rehabilitation activity. Parker-Evans must pay £3,611 in compensation to the care home, a victim services surcharge of £154 and prosecution costs of £85. He will pay at a rate of £300 a month.
According to a press release from when Linc Cymru recommended him for the Wales Care Awards, Parker-Evans had left Celtic Manor to "broaden his skills" in the kitchens of a beach hotel in Corsica and a ski resort in the French Alps, before joining the nursing home. A spokesman for the home said at the time: “[Parker-Evans] and his team now make everything from scratch, including purees and liquid meals, to keep the vitamin and nutrient content high and ensure all residents are eating the same, high-quality food." Parker-Evans is no longer employed at the home.