Surgery thief must pay £250,000

Dawn Beynon was released from jail and tagged after three months

A woman who stole £100,000 from the doctors' practice which she managed has been ordered to pay an extra £250,000 or face three more years in jail.

Dawn Beynon, 45, has already repaid the £104,000 she stole from the Ammanford surgery, Swansea Crown Court was told.

But Dyfed-Powys Police took further action against Beynon, from Llandybie, after she had used some of the cash to build a portfolio of five properties.

Judge Keith Thomas ordered Beynon to pay within six months or face jail.

Beynon, a mother-of-three, was jailed last September after admitting 33 theft offences and trying to obtain a mortgage by inflating her income.

The court heard she was released from prison and tagged after serving less than three months of her 15 month sentence.

Crime does not pay, that is the clear message Det Insp Richard Hopkin

Police took action to recover the extra money under the Proceeds of Crime Act after finding Beynon had established a property portfolio using the stolen cash..

The increase in the value of the houses and flats represented a benefit from criminal behaviour, said Geraint Walters, prosecuting.

After behind-the-scenes negotiations both sides agreed to fix the figure at £250,000.

Judge Keith Thomas said she must repay the money within six months or be jailed for another three years.

The judge stressed the jail term would represent punishment should she disobey the order, and would not wipe out the debt.

Caribbean cruise

During her case hearing last September, the judge was told the practice manager spent the money stolen from the Margaret Street practice setting up Beynon Properties Ltd.

She also paid for private education for two of her children and lavish holidays.

The thefts were discovered while she was on a £13,000 Caribbean cruise.

Beynon has used her position to alter cheques over a three-year period.

Mr Walters said the five doctors in the practice, which looks after 8,000 patients, had allowed Beynon to look after the accounts "while they got on with treating patients".

After Thursday's hearing, Det Insp Richard Hopkin, who heads Dyfed-Powys' financial crime team, said he was pleased with the outcome.

During this financial year, he said the force had persuaded the courts to confiscate almost £1m from criminals.

He said: "Crime does not pay, that is the clear message. Dyfed-Powys Police supports the government's initiative and is fully committed to enforcing what is a very powerful piece of legislation.

"Any benefit over and above the value of the initial offending will be confiscated, " Det Insp Hopkin added.