A SENIOR boss at Princess Yachts asked a sub-contractor for £10,000 for Christmas, a fraud trial heard.
Facilities manager Glyn Thompson, aged 57, wanted the cash from a groundworks company doing projects for the luxury boatmaker at South Yard, a jury was told.
Thompson is on trial accused of plotting with others to defraud Princess Yachts out of more than £1 million in a series of complex scams between 2010 and 2013.
He is accused of accepting money from a company called Elite Facilities Solutions.
Thompson also allegedly invoiced EFS through his own firm for work which was not carried out.
Former EFS boss John Tinley told Plymouth Crown Court he and other directors met an ex-manager at the groundworks firm SJD.
Simon Downey's company had also done work for Princess Yachts under the direction of Thompson and his deputy Roger Truen.
Tinley said SJD was in receivership at the time of the meeting in the summer of 2013 and Mr Downey was looking for work.
Neither Mr Downey not anyone else from SJD has been charged with any criminal offence.
Tinley told the jury that Mr Downey told them that Thompson had asked him for £10,000 "for Christmas".
Tinley added that Mr Downey had "just laughed".
Truen, Tinley and fellow EFS boss Michael Honey has already admitted conspiracy to defraud Princess Yachts.
Thompson, of Thornbury Park Avenue, Peverell, steadfastly denies dishonesty and has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud the firm
Former Plymouth Argyle player Darren Tallon, aged 43, of Elfordleigh Farm, Plympton, is also charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud Princess Yachts.
The trial continues, though there is no sitting tomorrow.
The jury will visit Princess Yachts on Wednesday.
↧