Vet made £225,000 by inventing pets to give non-existent treatment then spent cash from fraud on holidays, hotels and a new BMW
- Matthew Morgan used an official stamp and template from his employer North Kent Referrals in Chatham to make 54 claims against insurers
- Vet lavished the money on a new £25,000 BMW, flew twice a year to Australia, stayed at expensive hotels and took luxury holidays
- Morgan had carried out the frauds to 'pay off a £200,000 debt run up after his marriage to his first wife collapsed and his bid to buy a vet surgery failed'
By ANNA EDWARDS PUBLISHED: 16:42 GMT, 23 August 2013 | UPDATED: 10:32 GMT, 24 August 2013
When arrested he told detectives it was 'easy money'
A vet who made 'easy money' by defrauding insurance companies out of £225,000 by inventing pets and giving them non-existent treatment was jailed for two years today. Matthew Morgan, 38, used his expert knowledge to make the fraudulent claims saying he owned the pets over the space of three years. When arrested he told detectives it was 'easy money.'The vet, who earned £100,00 a year before tax, then lavished the money on a new £25,000 BMW, flew twice a year back to his homeland in Australia, stayed at expensive hotels and took luxury holidays. When he was arrested in January of this year he had tickets to go to Euro Disney on the Eurostar.
Morgan who came to the UK in 2001 had already pocketed £198,000 from insurance companies and was awaiting the rest of the money when he was caught.Today at the Old Bailey Morgan of Goodworth Road, Redhill, Surrey, was jailed for two years after he admitted four counts of fraud from September 2009 to November 2012. The court heard that between 2008 and 2012 he had earned £291,751Father-of-three Morgan, who took home £5,000 a month, used an official stamp and template from his employer North Kent Referrals in Chatham to make 54 claims against insurers Petplan, Petprotect, Direct Line and Sainsbury’s. He first made a false claim saying his pet cat had been involved in a road accident.
All the claims were in his name and he gave his address and bank details.In mitigation his barrister argued Morgan had carried out the frauds to pay off a £200,000 debt run up after his marriage to his first wife collapsed and his bid to buy a vet surgery failed. He claimed Morgan had become addicted to clearing his debts but when he was arrested the vet owed just £21,000.However back in his native Australia it emerged he had conviction for burglary and obtaining property by deception.Sentencing him at the Old Bailey today, Judge Wendy Joseph QC said Morgan was a man who 'not willing to curtail his expenditure to come in line with his means' which resulted in him racking up debts.
She said: 'This was a course of behaviour which happened over three years and involved at least 50 separate acts of dishonesty. 'You attempted to gain £226,000 when actually you obtained £198,000.'In 2009 you took out pet insurance for your cat. You then said she was in a car accident and you made claims for her medical treatment.'You made up more and more cats, each suffering from fictitious illnesses or injuries.
He used an official stamp and template from his employer North Kent
Referrals in Chatham to make 54 claims against insurers 'You were abusing your position of trust (at the vet surgery) and the extent of that abuse only became clear after your arrest.'You were using their headed paper, stamp and template and even took them with you when you left the surgery so you could continue your fraudulent activity thereafter.'You used your knowledge as a vet to deceive the insurance companies.'I accept that you had debts. I do not accept this is the whole truth of the matter.
His barrister argued Morgan had carried out the frauds to pay off a £200,000 debt
'You came over from Australia in 2001. You over extended yourself and got in debt.'The picture of the years that follow is frankly the behaviour of a man who is not willing to curtail his expenditure to come in line with his means.'As for your remorse, I am far from convinced of that.'It seems to me Mr Morgan that you have fooled yourself as much as other people about the person you really are.'Judge Joseph also called for the destruction of the stamp and template which Morgan used to create the fake insurance claims.
Confiscation proceedings against Morgan have begun.Martin Ingle, defending Morgan, said his client had nothing to hand over. He said: 'My client has no assets, no property and no money stored away. He has debts of around £20,000.'Morgan is also being referred to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons where he faces being suspended or struck off the register. Speaking after the sentencing, DS Craig Mullish, who ran the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) investigation, said: 'Morgan was paid a good salary to help sick animals, but over three years he systematically abused his position to claim massive payouts for surgeries on pets that did not exist.
'His sole motivation was to maintain an image of being a successful vet through the portrayal of an extravagant lifestyle. 'Morgan’s sentence highlights again how IFED is working with industry to bring insurance fraudsters to justice wherever they are and whatever they do.' A Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons spokesperson said: 'We have been liaising with IFED about this case for some time. 'Now that a conviction against Matthew Morgan has been secured and sentence handed down, we will raise an allegation against him and invite him to respond. 'The case, as a conviction, will then be passed immediately to our Preliminary Investigation Committee, which will be able to consider the details of the case and decide the most appropriate course of action.'
When arrested he told detectives it was 'easy money'
A vet who made 'easy money' by defrauding insurance companies out of £225,000 by inventing pets and giving them non-existent treatment was jailed for two years today. Matthew Morgan, 38, used his expert knowledge to make the fraudulent claims saying he owned the pets over the space of three years. When arrested he told detectives it was 'easy money.'The vet, who earned £100,00 a year before tax, then lavished the money on a new £25,000 BMW, flew twice a year back to his homeland in Australia, stayed at expensive hotels and took luxury holidays. When he was arrested in January of this year he had tickets to go to Euro Disney on the Eurostar.
Morgan who came to the UK in 2001 had already pocketed £198,000 from insurance companies and was awaiting the rest of the money when he was caught.Today at the Old Bailey Morgan of Goodworth Road, Redhill, Surrey, was jailed for two years after he admitted four counts of fraud from September 2009 to November 2012. The court heard that between 2008 and 2012 he had earned £291,751Father-of-three Morgan, who took home £5,000 a month, used an official stamp and template from his employer North Kent Referrals in Chatham to make 54 claims against insurers Petplan, Petprotect, Direct Line and Sainsbury’s. He first made a false claim saying his pet cat had been involved in a road accident.
All the claims were in his name and he gave his address and bank details.In mitigation his barrister argued Morgan had carried out the frauds to pay off a £200,000 debt run up after his marriage to his first wife collapsed and his bid to buy a vet surgery failed. He claimed Morgan had become addicted to clearing his debts but when he was arrested the vet owed just £21,000.However back in his native Australia it emerged he had conviction for burglary and obtaining property by deception.Sentencing him at the Old Bailey today, Judge Wendy Joseph QC said Morgan was a man who 'not willing to curtail his expenditure to come in line with his means' which resulted in him racking up debts.
She said: 'This was a course of behaviour which happened over three years and involved at least 50 separate acts of dishonesty. 'You attempted to gain £226,000 when actually you obtained £198,000.'In 2009 you took out pet insurance for your cat. You then said she was in a car accident and you made claims for her medical treatment.'You made up more and more cats, each suffering from fictitious illnesses or injuries.
He used an official stamp and template from his employer North Kent
Referrals in Chatham to make 54 claims against insurers 'You were abusing your position of trust (at the vet surgery) and the extent of that abuse only became clear after your arrest.'You were using their headed paper, stamp and template and even took them with you when you left the surgery so you could continue your fraudulent activity thereafter.'You used your knowledge as a vet to deceive the insurance companies.'I accept that you had debts. I do not accept this is the whole truth of the matter.
His barrister argued Morgan had carried out the frauds to pay off a £200,000 debt
'You came over from Australia in 2001. You over extended yourself and got in debt.'The picture of the years that follow is frankly the behaviour of a man who is not willing to curtail his expenditure to come in line with his means.'As for your remorse, I am far from convinced of that.'It seems to me Mr Morgan that you have fooled yourself as much as other people about the person you really are.'Judge Joseph also called for the destruction of the stamp and template which Morgan used to create the fake insurance claims.
Confiscation proceedings against Morgan have begun.Martin Ingle, defending Morgan, said his client had nothing to hand over. He said: 'My client has no assets, no property and no money stored away. He has debts of around £20,000.'Morgan is also being referred to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons where he faces being suspended or struck off the register. Speaking after the sentencing, DS Craig Mullish, who ran the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) investigation, said: 'Morgan was paid a good salary to help sick animals, but over three years he systematically abused his position to claim massive payouts for surgeries on pets that did not exist.
'His sole motivation was to maintain an image of being a successful vet through the portrayal of an extravagant lifestyle. 'Morgan’s sentence highlights again how IFED is working with industry to bring insurance fraudsters to justice wherever they are and whatever they do.' A Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons spokesperson said: 'We have been liaising with IFED about this case for some time. 'Now that a conviction against Matthew Morgan has been secured and sentence handed down, we will raise an allegation against him and invite him to respond. 'The case, as a conviction, will then be passed immediately to our Preliminary Investigation Committee, which will be able to consider the details of the case and decide the most appropriate course of action.'
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