A WOMAN whose husband was involved in defrauding investors out of millions of pounds told a jury that he deceived her as well.

Linda Hirst insisted she never knew that the money being spent by her and her husband John, was coming from swindled investors.

Hirst, 62, from Surrey, has denied money laundering charges and yesterday rejected a suggestion made by prosecutor Simon Bourne-Arton QC, that she knew some of her expensive jewellery had been bought with investors’ money.

“No I didn’t. I did not,” replied Hirst.

“I do now and I haven’t worn it since I found out.”

Mr Bourne-Arton suggested that Hirst would feel sick to the stomach if she did wear the jewellery and she responded: “I feel sick to the stomach anyway.”

Hirst said her husband appeared to be working really hard at the investment scheme, which involved trading on the Dow Jones Index. But she said he was “very deep” and didn’t discuss any finances or businesses with her.

“He was a lovely man,” she said.

“I suppose he had everybody under his spell.”

Mr Bourne-Arton said Hirst must have set out to utterly deceive his wife and she replied: “He’s deceived me all the way through from when I met him.”

Brighouse man John Hirst, 61, of Millroyd Mill, Huddersfield Road, has accepted his involvement in the so-called Ponzi investment scheme which defrauded millions of pounds various investors including ex-pats living in Mallorca.

Financial advisor Richard Pollett, 70, from Dorset, has denied being part of the scam to defraud investors.

Linda Hirst’s daughter Zoe Waite, 36, also from Surrey, and John Hirst’s 35-year-old solicitor son Daniel, of Marsh Lane, Leeds, have also denied money-laundering allegations.

The trial continues.