Military clerks at a counter terrorism base 'stole nearly £1million and splashed it on hair transplants and teeth whitening in Turkey', court hears

Military clerks at a counter-terrorism base 'stole almost £1million' and spent the money on luxury items, hair transplants and teeth whitening procedures, a court has heard.

Southwark Crown Court was told how 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.

Ringleader Cpl Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, 33, used the money - which was meant to be spent on flights, subsistence and operational allowances for troops on missions abroad - to splash on plastic surgery procedures during frequent trips to Turkey.

Detective John Slater told jurors that when officers searched Stelmach-Purdie's home: 'It was almost like something from Pimp My Ride', after they found nine pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes, a Louis Vuitton luggage set and a Range Rover Overfinch parked outside.

Stelmach-Purdie and his fellow troops ran the year-long fraud 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' and those working there were said to be 'revered and respected' by the rest of the Armed Forces.

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 have admitted their roles in the fraud.

This includes his immediate boss Alan O'Neil, 47, of Droitwich, Worcestershire, and Movements clerk Anthony Sharwood, 38, Sgt Peter Wilson, 55, and soldier Lauren O'Brien, 37.

All five of these men 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.