A supermarket worker allegedly transferred nearly £600,000 from his mother’s bank accounts to cover cocaine habits, alcohol, gambling losses, and a loan shark debt before leaving a suicide note and surrendering to authorities, a court has heard.
Simon Grimes, 44, from Kenilworth Road, Petts Wood, Orpington, faces two counts of fraud by abuse of position related to Royal Bank of Scotland and Nationwide accounts between May 20, 2016, and June 16, 2022. He has entered a not guilty plea at Croydon Crown Court.
Discovery of the Missing Funds
Linda Grimes, 73, uncovered the depletion of her life savings with help from her other son, Mark, 48. At a local Nationwide branch in West Wickham, the full extent of the transfers emerged.
Ms. Grimes testified: “I was devastated. I just broke down in Nationwide and cried, not thinking my son could do that to me.”
She added: “I did not give him any permission to do that. He just did it himself and there was never a straight answer.”
After confronting Grimes, he grew angry and claimed the funds sat in an offshore Amsterdam account generating returns—a claim she described as false.
Grimes had moved into his mother’s Orpington bungalow following his marriage breakdown, agreeing to cover utility bills. Instead, he intercepted her mail, collecting bank letters, new cards, and PINs found in his room.
The Suicide Note and Surrender
Days after exposure, Grimes left a note on his mother’s coffee table: “I’m sorry for what I’ve done. By the time you read this I will be at Beachy Head and I will be dead.”
Police searched Beachy Head on the south coast. Grimes soon walked into a station, confessed to the transfers and spending, and entered psychiatric care. Ms. Grimes has not seen him since.
Financial Background and Spending
Following her husband Malcolm’s death in 2015—a successful chartered accountant—Ms. Grimes inherited properties and his business. Sales proceeds went into her RBS account, leaving her financially secure.
She later sold the bungalow, deposited funds with Nationwide, and relocated to a Croydon rental, which Grimes claimed belonged to a friend.
Prosecutor Robin Griffiths outlined: Over years, Grimes abused trust by shifting money to his accounts. By June 2022, both were overdrawn—RBS by £6,000—erasing her retirement security, leaving only her pension.
Grimes told police of struggles post-father’s death: heavy drinking, daily cocaine use, gambling losses including £40,000 from his matrimonial home sale, and a loan shark debt ballooning from £15,000 to £40,000 with aggressive collectors.
He admitted: “I went to Beachy Head to do myself in, but I didn’t.”
Defense Arguments
Ms. Grimes testified most withdrawals occurred without her knowledge, intended for safekeeping after the bungalow sale to fund a new property amid sad memories.
The defense presented bank records suggesting Ms. Grimes handled online and international transfers, which she denies. They portrayed Mark Grimes as an intimidating, money-focused businessman.
The trial continues.
