EXCLUSIVE How a mother-of-two mysteriously disappeared from her £1m home on the day of a family holiday... the truth was 'devastating'

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Mr Jayaprakash visibly shakes as he relives the moment he found out why his wife Hemalatha had suddenly disappeared on the day of a family holiday.
The couple had been due to travel to a Manchester Airport hotel for an overnight stay ahead of catching a flight the following morning to visit relatives in their native India.
But as they busily packed their suitcases at their £1m detached home in Great Barr, on the outskirts of Birmingham, Hemalatha told him she needed to go out.
She drove off in her Land Rover saying she was going to view offices of a new workplace, as she had previously been made redundant from her job but had told her husband she had secure a new one.
But the mother-of-two was not driving to meet new work colleagues, she was rushing to attend a crown court trial - her own.
Unknown to her loving husband and two adult children, Hemalatha had stolen £166k from her boss in a long-term fraud.
But while Mr Jayaprakash prepared for their holiday, his wife had been appearing in the dock at Birmingham Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to fraud and abuse of position.
Hemalatha seemed to be hoping she could avoid a custodial sentence without ever having to tell her family.
But she was wrong.
The fraudster office worker was jailed for two years and three months and was heard 'wailing' as she was led to the cells.
Meanwhile her frantic family were out searching for her, fearing she may have been involved in a road accident.
Speaking on the doorstep of his home this week, Mr Jayaprakash told MailOnline: 'It is beyond belief and we are absolutely shattered.
'It is devastating to all our family and friends.'
Mr Jayaprakash revealed how the family searched local areas and even visited hospitals looking for Hemalatha.
They eventually dialled police in desperation, reporting her as a missing person.
The family only found out she had been jailed later that night at 10.30pm - more than 12 hours after she had vanished - when her former boss posted news of her conviction and sentence on a community Facebook page.
Distraught Mr Jayaprakash said: 'We weren't aware of any of this, it is such a difficult time for the family. We had absolutely no idea.
'My wife didn't need the money and we are trying to find out what really happened, and maybe she was coerced by someone.
'We don't have any money issues, we are not struggling financially, so why would she do this.
'We cannot comprehend this, it is beyond belief and we are totally shattered and devastated. It is such a shock.'
It was heard in court that Jayaprakash lived in a £1million home and had a rental property empire.
The 44-year-old had worked at city centre-based Northwood estate agents for 12 years but made dozens of illegal transfers from business and client accounts to herself.
She claimed she used some of the money to pay her child's school fees and help relatives in India who lost their homes due to flooding.
Nin Rehal, who founded the business and was managing director, said he had been left devastated by her betrayal, having learned she also took money while he was out of the office caring for his terminally-ill mother.
She had been hired in 2012 as an accounts manager before becoming office manager and then a personal assistant to the director.
A £26,000 discrepancy was discovered when Mr Rehal sold the business in December 2023 and the accounts were examined.
It transpired payments had been made to non-existent landlords to the same bank account, which was revealed as Jayaprakash's account when she submitted an expenses claim.
She was suspended in March last year but claimed she had paid £29,000 into the business herself in 2019.
Richard Davenport, prosecuting, told the hearing: 'The defendant said she was paying herself back for the money she provided the business in 2019.
'She also said she had stolen £55,000 and offered to repay the money.
'That amount was a vast understatement of the amount she had actually stolen.'
It was established Jayaprakash had actually taken £167,062.68 over 158 transactions between January 2021 and March 2024. She was ultimately dismissed.
The court was told Jayaprakash had repaid most of the stolen money, but Mr Rehal said he had not received anything himself because funds had been withheld from the sale of the business.
In a victim impact statement he drew attention to a £6,480 sum she stole when he was out of office due to his mother dying less than 24 hours earlier.
He stated: 'This is the level of greed and deception and betrayal we are dealing with.'
He recalled how Jayaprakash turned up to his mother's funeral with 'flowers in hand.'
Mr Rehal said her fraud had caused him 'immense' distress and 'devastating' financial losses.
He told told the court that he had to release equity from his family home to make ends meet, including supporting his two children at university.
He added: 'Meanwhile Mrs Jayaprakash resides in a £1m property, purchased outright in 2018, and benefits from income generated by a portfolio of at least eight rental properties.'
Samreen Akhtar, defending, said: 'This wasn't committed by a lady living a lavish lifestyle.
'The money stolen was used to pay for her child's school fees and sent to relatives in India who had lost their livelihoods (due to flooding).
'Nevertheless she doesn't seek to minimise the offences and she is aware the victim is in the public gallery and wishes me to apologise to them through me today.'
She told the court Jayaprakash had a computer science degree and hoped to get a job in the IT industry, having resigned from another estate agent job that morning due to the 'stress of these proceedings'.
Ms Akhtar added: 'She resides with her husband and two children, both adults.
'Her family members are regrettably unaware (of her conviction). She has had no support in terms of these proceedings.'
But Recorder Amy Jackson expressed 'scepticism' at being told Jayaprakash had managed to swiftly repay £126,000 of the stolen money through sales of land and property in India.
She said: 'Everything I have read about this lady takes me to the belief she is from an affluent background where she ought not to need to steal to fund a lifestyle and effectively does lead a lavish lifestyle.
'This was pure greed.'
Passing sentence the judge said: 'This was a long-running and significant fraud and abuse of trust.'
Jayaprakash remained motionless as she was told she was being jailed immediately and would serve up to 40 per cent of the 27-month term in custody.
But she was heard crying in anguish after being led out of the dock and down to the cells.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing to determine confiscation, costs and compensation was adjourned until August 26.
Mr Jayaprakash told MailOnline that his wife was a 'respectable lady' who didn't need any extra money, and the family was now having 'such a difficult time.'
He doubted she was leading a double life.
On the day of her court hearings he explained: 'We were doing our packing,
'I was aware my wife had applied for another job and she said she had got it.
'If I knew my wife was in any financial difficultly and needed any money I would have helped her.
'We have not been struggling financially.'
Mr Jayaprakash told how they had bought their home for £540,000 seven years ago.
The large property, adorned with garden sculptures, is named Gleneagles after the renewed luxury Scottish county, golfing and spa retreat.
Asked if his wife had spent the stolen money on private school fees, he replied: 'No, my daughter went to a fee paying school and I paid for that.'
Quizzed if she had given cash to struggling relatives in India, as she had suggested, he responded: 'We checked with family and they have not received a penny from her.'
He admitted the case was 'baffling' as well as distressing.
Asked if his wife may have been hiding a secret health battle, which she could have needed funding for, he said: 'No, not that I aware of. She was physically and mentally well and in a good state of health.
'It there was any problem I would have helped her.'
He believes she may have been 'coerced' into illegal activity.
Mr Jayaprakash told how his wife had been suspended from her star agent Jon in around 2014/2015 with her boss saying she was 'not fit for purpose.'
He said: 'It appears she was not doing her job properly but within in a few weeks he took her back, the same post but with a bigger salary.
'She was accounts manager.'
On the day she disappeared, he told how he rang the police to report his wife missing.
Unbeknown to him she had driven her car into the city centre to attend her court hearing.
Her vehicle, more than a week later, is still parked up with her husband not being able to retrieve it becaue her keys have been retained by the prison and have not yet been returned to him for removal.
Mr Jayaprakash told how family and friends were helping him support him through this 'horrendous' ordeal.
He said his wife was not coping well in prison and during brief phone calls to her she kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry;' but with no explanation and cannot say why.
'She's not in a good place, the court case and sentence has taken its toll on her, and her family.
'It has had such an impact on all our lives.
'Friends and neighbours who are now aware are trying tio be supportive but it is such a difficult time.'
The traumatised husband is due to visit his caged wife for the first time this week, saying: 'I've not seem her since she left our house when I thought we were going in holiday, and still all our packed bags are left in the house.
'Her sentence was very harsh, and I think charges against her may have been spiced up.
'If anything she should have been given a suspended sentence and not jailed.
'She's not a killer!'
He continued: 'We are trying to piece together what happened, because we are shattered.
'Her former boss was a bit of a character and I have a strong feeling he may be involved if there was any wrong doing and spiced things up
'I have my suspicions.'
Shocked neighbours also had 'no idea' of her jailing.
A woman living next door, who declined to be named, told MailOnline: 'I am absolutely shocked, God, I had no idea.
'She was a very kind person and she cooked me meals at times, she was so kind,
'I have been around to her house, we were not close friends but good neighbours.'
She added: 'On reflection she hadn't been in the best of health, she hadn't been very unwell but she has the cough-cold virus, as we all do.