Dr Anthony McGrath, 34, decided to fake a burglary and then submit a false insurance claim. Photo / Supplied
Dr Anthony McGrath, 34, decided to fake a burglary and then submit a false insurance claim. Photo / Supplied
A "greedy and arrogant" surgeon who set up a massive insurance and mortgage loan fraud was jailed for eight years yesterday after calling the judge "abusive and racist".
Irish-born Dr Anthony McGrath, 46, was taken down to the cells after shouting at Judge Barbara Mensah: "You talk to me as if I'm a child."
The once highly-respected orthopaedic surgeon had been living in a £1.1million ($2.12 million) home he and his GP wife Anne-Louise paid for with a series of fraudulent mortgage applications.
As the money for renovations ran out, McGrath faked a burglary and claimed nearly £200,000 ($385,913) worth of antiques and other valuable items had been stolen.
His story unravelled when police became suspicious about the break-in and learned about his parlous finances.
McGrath submitted fake photos of items he claimed to have owned. He had never owned this clock, but found the photo elsewhere. Photo / Supplied
The father-of-four denied any wrongdoing but was convicted at Luton Crown Court of a string of charges following a four-month trial.
Mrs McGrath, 44, who claimed the finances were handled by her husband, was acquitted of any involvement.
Judge Mensah lambasted the defendant for his "breathtaking brazenness". She told him: "You rose to be a successful orthopaedic surgeon and fell, through greed and arrogance, to where you sit today."
Anthony McGrath and his GP wife Anne-Louise McGrath were in debt to the tune of thousands of dollars when the husband decided to make a fake burglary report to police. Photo / Supplied
She added: "The mortgage frauds were well-planned and sophisticated. Your dishonesty knows no limits because, even after you gained financial assistance, you needed more money and that led you to make a fraudulent claim for a burglary. Because of your arrogance, you didn't think an insurance company or the police would question a man of your standing."
Two earrings (left) and a ring (right) that McGrath claimed to have owned when he submitted the fake insurance claim. Photos / Supplied
McGrath was led away before sentencing after interrupting her and ranting: "You talk to me as if I'm a child. Shame on you. You are an abusive, racist and terrible person. Shame on you for suppressing the truth."
The McGraths bought their seven-bedroom home in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 2013 and began ambitious and costly renovations. While the works were being carried out they lived in a £2,400-a-month ($4,630) cottage and paid for private school fees for their children aged between four and 14.
On April 15, 2015, McGrath reported a break-in at the rented cottage.
This was the cottage where the couple lived called The Garden Bothy in the grounds of Luton Hoo, a former Bedfordshire stately home. Photo / Supplied
Among the items he claimed were taken were a £30,000 ($57,887) 19th-century rococo fireplace, Ming vases, silverware, oriental rugs and paintings.
But when police visited the property they were suspicious about the means of entry, through a sash window.
It would have been impossible for someone to reach through the broken pane and undo the catch without leaving behind fibres and marks, yet there was no forensic evidence.
In July 2015, McGrath was asked to provide photos of the missing items. But digital data revealed a photo of the fireplace had been taken after the break-in. Financial records also showed a van had been hired shortly after the burglary and driven to Ireland.
This 19th century Rococo red marble fireplace worth $57,000 had actually been removed from the house years earlier. Photo / Supplied
Further checks revealed the couple's financial difficulties.They had massive debts and were not making mortgage payments. McGrath was earning around £85,000 ($164,013) a year but his wife was not working at all meaning their spending far exceeded their income.
A photo of silver teapots that McGrath falsely claimed had been stolen from his cottage. As with all the photos, they had been copied from elsewhere. Photo / Supplied
Officers discovered McGrath had lied about his and his wife's incomes to take out three mortgages in excess of £1million ($1.92 million) including one from Lloyds Bank for £825,000 ($1.59 million). After they were arrested, several of the 95 items listed as stolen were recovered at their properties.
A photo of a chandelier that McGrath submitted with his insurance claim despite never having owned it. Photo / Supplied
McGrath was found guilty of four counts of insurance fraud, perverting the course of justice and three charges of mortgage fraud and jailed for eight years.
