John Drewe (pictured several years ago), who is appearing at Norwich Crown Court accused of fraud and theft. Pic: PA

The wife of a convicted conman said she never suspected her husband of an alleged fraud against a Norfolk woman – despite £240,000 being deposited in the couple’s joint bank account.

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Helen Drewe gave evidence at Norwich Crown Court on her 62nd birthday yesterday, to deny helping her husband allegedly extract a total of £300,000 from Jeanne Du Feu, who lived on Lynn Road in Cranwich, near Thetford.

Mrs Drewe is charged with money laundering while John Drewe, 63, has denied 10 charges of fraud and theft.

Prosecutors had previously told the court that Mr Drewe sold Miss Du Feu’s previous property in Charlton, south London, with the promise that the proceeds would be reinvested overseas.

Instead, the jury heard £240,000 was deposited in the Drewes’ joint bank account, with £48,000 later transferred to Mrs Drewe’s personal current account, and £24,000 being used by Mr Drewe to buy a new Jaguar XKR.

Mrs Drewe said she had “abdicated” all the financial responsibilities in the marriage and was never aware of the intricacies of her husband’s business dealings, even though she was a director of his company.

And despite Mr Drewe’s previous prison term for conspiracy to defraud, art forgery and theft in 1999 – and the couple’s lack of regular income – his wife said she did not suspect anything was wrong until they were both arrested in 2009.

When asked if she suspected the money in her account had come from the proceeds of crime, she said: “Absolutely not.

“John told me there was some sort of computation of loans being written off, and some money had come in from his activities and he made a calculation that this sum was due to come to me. It was all to do with the business.

“It is grotesque to think I would ever steal from anybody.”

In relation to the purchase of the Jaguar, Mrs Drewe said: “I was surprised at the time, but he said it was good deal and the opportunity had arisen to get it - and we needed a car.”

Mrs Drewe, who studied medicine at London University and worked as a researcher for the pharmaceutical industry, married Mr Drewe in 1995 and lives in Reigate, Surrey.

She said she found it difficult to cope with the demands of her new family, which includes Mr Drewe’s two children from a previous relationship.

She described herself as an “inactive director” in her husband’s company Energy Resources Group Ltd, and the court heard she frequently signed off company letters and meeting minutes “administratively”, without reading them – some of which related to the property deals.

William Carter, prosecuting, said: “You are an intelligent woman, articulate, well-educated and professionally qualified.

“And yet in respect of each of these documents which concern you, you say they were simply put under your nose and you signed them. Is that your defence? You are not some kind of wilting violet, and you are perfectly capable of expressing a view.”

Mrs Drewe said: “My life changed entirely when I got married and I completely changed my way of handling life. There were certain things I did, and certain things I abdicated from.”

Mr Drewe, representing himself in court, said it was not unusual for large sums of cash to be spent on scientific equipment for the company’s research work. But Mr Carter said the company had never traded and its financial reports did not correspond with the £200,000 withdrawn from Mrs Drewe’s accounts between December 2004 and April 2006.

Mrs Drewe said: “It was not spent by me. I can only say I left all that side of things to my husband. I did not get involved with the finances.”

The trial continues.