Former MoD Clerk Stelmach-Purdie Faces Jail for £1M Fraud

Former corporal Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, 34, faces jail time after stealing nearly £1 million from the Ministry of Defence through fraudulent expense claims, which he used to fund cosmetic surgeries including hair transplants and dental work in Turkey. The scam, which took place between November 2014 and January 2016, involved 161 fictitious claims, defrauding the government of £911,677, of which he pocketed £557,093. Stelmach-Purdie and five other clerks from the Regent's Park Barracks were convicted of fraud and money laundering, with prosecutors highlighting the significant loss of public funds intended for national defense. The court was informed that Stelmach-Purdie manipulated the MoD’s online expense management system to execute the scheme. The case underscores serious breaches of trust within military administrative roles, leading to calls for stricter oversight. Stelmach-Purdie's criminal history includes prior convictions related to sexual offenses, adding to the gravity of his current charges.