Rachael Cleall used her senior position at two hotels to transfer nearly £100,000 into accounts held by her and her husband, James Cleall.

The fraud took place while she worked at the De Vere Hotel in Southampton as a reception clerk and the Marriott Hotel at Cosham, Portsmouth.

The scam began in 2003, and initially involved her fiddling the books at the De Vere.

She transferred £11,680 from the hotel's coffers into her and her husband's bank accounts by creating bogus refunds.

When she left the luxury Southampton hotel in April 2006 she got a job at the Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth.

While she worked at the Marriott Mrs Cleall used her husband's company credit card details to continue to steal huge sums – she stole tens of thousands of pounds from his employer, Bath Travel.

Mrs Cleall, 31, stole a total of £86,393 from Bath Travel by inventing bogus bills to the company's account at the hotel, and then diverting the payments to her and her husband's bank accounts.

Mrs Cleall admitted the fraud in January 2008, but her husband denies any involvement in the scam and is currently on trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Prosecutors say that Mr Cleall, 33, knew exactly what was going on and provided his wife with his company credit card details so she could plunder its accounts.

Prosecutor Francis Chamberlain said: 'The issue in this case is whether this defendant was part of the dishonest scam or whether he was an innocent dupe.

'There was a fraud in this case. The issue is whether he was a part of it.

'We say he was in on the fraud at the De Vere hotel and knew all about the payments.'

He added: 'It is clear, we would say, that he was actively involved in the scam in relation to the Marriott Hotel and provided his wife with information about his work, Bath Travel's, credit cards.'

Mr Cleall, of Paul Road, Bournemouth, denies three counts of dishonestly obtaining a wrongful credit and one count of theft.

Mrs Cleall, previously of Liderbach Drive, Verwood, Dorset, has pleaded guilty to theft.

(Proceeding)