ByConor Gogarty
A “thoroughly dishonest” employee, James Davies, stole over £90,000 from customers to fund his gambling addiction while working for Cardiff-based financial services firm Anna Money. The 37-year-old was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison for multiple offenses, including two rapes. He recently appeared at Swansea Crown Court, admitting to further charges of fraud by abuse of position that occurred from October 2020 for nearly a month.
Judge Huw Rees condemned Davies, stating, “You are a thoroughly dishonest man. You prioritized your preoccupation with gambling over the requirements of your unsuspecting and trusting customers, effectively undermining an institution that serves as a bank.” Anna Money, also known as Absolutely No Nonsense Admin, assists small businesses with financial administration and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Last July, Davies was convicted of serious crimes, including two counts of rape and possession of cocaine. The court revealed that he had misled a woman by claiming to have PTSD from traumatic military experiences before physically assaulting her at Swansea’s Grand Hotel.
In his latest hearing, Davies, currently incarcerated at Bridgend’s Parc prison, was represented by Vaughan Britton. The lawyer noted that Davies’s “family unit has completely disintegrated,” yet he is working to address the issues that led to his criminal behavior. Judge Rees considered the delay in sentencing for the fraud and imposed an additional 16-month sentence, to be served consecutively with his existing term.
The court had previously reported on the assault involving Davies, detailing how a consensual encounter turned violent after he had taken cocaine. Despite the victim’s distress, Davies’s fabrications about his military service were ultimately exposed as lies, leading to his further legal troubles.
