Gallagher claims manager busted over £500,000 fraud

37-year old Tipton resident James Cunnington, a claims manager at Arthur J Gallagher in Birmingham, may face prison after a string of fraudulent activity led to him pocketing £500,000.

Cunnington was able to steal money from Gallagher by filing fake insurance claims and validating them himself.

Meanwhile, Cunnington used the money to clear his debts, pay for his wedding to his wife Jenny and take holidays abroad, the Evening Standard reports.

By pretending the money came from commission-based bonuses and “hard work”, Cunnington snookered new bride Jenny into believing that he had earned it.

The tricky claims manager was caught out when over 100 suspicious insurance claims were found during an internal audit last year.

Cunnington reportedly claimed that he wanted to “provide a better life” for his family when taken to task by the police. However, his deception was caught out when he admitted to the fraud, saying that he had “begun to rely on the money.”

Even the fraudster seemed concerned by his excessive spending and the £500,000 figure, which he told police during questioning he was “surprised” by.

Cunnington pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud by abuse of position and is due to be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court.