Couple who netted £2 billion from PPE contracts splash around in Caribbean surf

Splashing around in the Caribbean surf, the former nurse who made millions in NHS PPE deals appeared to enjoy the fruits of her labour this Christmas.

Sarah Stoute, 49, took a luxury Christmas break with her husband Richard, 52, after the pair pocketed close to £2billion in contracts for medical gowns and masks – their firm becoming the single biggest beneficiary of NHS PPE deals.

Before the pandemic their family-run business made a profit of under £1million.

But now the pair have bought themselves a Caribbean villa for £30million, an equestrian centre and a country mansion in the south of England for £6million.

Sarah Stoute (pictured), 49, took a luxury Christmas break with her husband Richard, 52, after the pair pocketed close to £2billion in contracts for medical gowns and masks

Now the pair have bought themselves a Caribbean villa for £30million, an equestrian centre and a country mansion in the south of England for £6million. Pictured: Richard Stoute on holiday in the Caribbean

When the Mail revealed their Caribbean getaway, the couple hired heavy-hitting lawyers including a KC to threaten an injunction to stop details being revealed. A source close to the couple said they were ‘spending it like EuroMillions jackpot winners’.

Shortly before the new photos – first published in The Sun on Sunday – were taken, a jet ski had just returned Mrs Stoute to shore from a yacht where she was relaxing with family and friends.

The Government has estimated that £85million of the PPE provided by their firm, Full Support Healthcare, has remained unused. The Jersey-registered company said it delivered the contracted PPE in full, to the required regulatory standards, and ahead of schedule – and any unused kit was the result of decisions made by the Government.

The couple’s firm became the single biggest beneficiary of NHS PPE deals (file image)

The firm won big after scrambling to order PPE in 2019. It had received a ‘tip-off’ about a deadly virus, enabling it to cash in when the first wave hit Britain. The couple have insisted they are not Covid profiteers. They say they ran a well-placed business and their know-how played a vital role in bolstering PPE supplies.

Mrs Stoute said: ‘We were thus able to deliver in as timely a way as possible and this undoubtedly saved lives.’