Fury after military clerks at counter-terror base ‘stole nearly £1m and spent it on plastic surgery and flashy watches’

MILITARY clerks at a counter-terrorism base syphoned off almost £1million and spent it on luxury items and plastic surgery, a court has heard.

Ringleader Cpl Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, 33, had hair transplants, teeth-whitening and abdominal implants during frequent trips to Turkey.

Police who searched the pay clerk’s home found nine pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes, a Louis Vuitton luggage set and four flashy watches — a Tissot and three Patek Philippes which turned out to be fake.

Outside was a souped-up Range Rover Overfinch.

Det Insp John Slater said: “It was almost like something you would see on Pimp My Ride.”

The troops ran a year-long fraud and money-laundering scheme from Regent’s Park Barracks in London, it is alleged.

The unit they worked for has not been named — but jurors heard it was “very classified”.

Those working there were said to be “revered and respected” by the rest of the Armed Forces.

Southwark Crown Court was told a catastrophic failure of financial checks and balances allowed eight serving soldiers and a civilian accomplice to make hundreds of bogus claims from the Ministry of Defence.

The funds were meant to be spent on flights, subsistence and operational allowances for troops on missions abroad.

Mr Slater, from the MoD Police, said 221 fraudulent claims worth £911,608 were made between December 2014 and January 2016.

Stelmach-Purdie, of Oldham, and five others — including his immediate boss Alan O’Neil, 47, of Droitwich, Worcs — have admitted their roles in the fraud.

Movements clerk Anthony Sharwood, 38, Sgt Peter Wilson, 55, and soldier Lauren O’Brien, 37, also admit fraud.

All have now left the forces.

A serving soldier who cannot be named pleaded guilty to money- laundering on the first day of the trial last week.

Two ex-soldiers — Lance sergeant Lee Richards, 41, and Lance corporal Amy Sheldon, 37 — deny conspiracy to commit fraud and transferring criminal property.

They are on trial with civilian Simon Lees, 31, of Oldham, who denies laundering £270,000 through his bank accounts within six months.

The plumber admitted moving the money for former school friend Stelmach-Purdie but claimed he thought he earned it working for MI5 and was “really high up”.

The trial continues.