Doctors' manager stole £100,000

The court heard Beynon had repaid the stolen money

The manager of a Carmarthenshire doctors' practice altered cheques to steal £100,000 and lived an extravagant lifestyle, Swansea Crown Court heard.

Dawn Beynon, 46, from Llandybie, who altered cheques after doctors had signed them, was jailed for 15 months.

She had earlier admitted 33 theft offences and trying to obtain a mortgage by inflating her income.

The court heard she sent two children to private school and set up a property portfolio. Beynon repaid the money.

No-one had noticed the mother-of-three had stolen the £104,107 from the Ammanford surgery over three years.

But doctors discovered the money was missing when they received a letter pointing out they were behind on superannuation payments.

There has been considerable gossip which has caused her shame and disgrace. She feels dreadful Patrick Griffiths, defending

Prosecutor Geraint Walters said: "It was news to them. They had placed considerable trust in her."

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

She began stealing amounts of around £1,000 by altering the amounts on cheques made out to her, and changing the payees' names on others so she could cash them.

But in August 2006, fearing discovery, she went for one last extravaganza and wrote out a cheque for £13,000, the court heard.

Mr Walters said Beynon spent the cash on an extravagant lifestyle, sending two of her children to private school, enjoying lavish holidays and even setting up Beynon Properties Ltd.

She bought two houses other than her main home and let them out.

Mr Walters said Beynon had repaid all the stolen money.

He said a financial investigation was underway and the prosecution might want to argue that any increase in value represented the proceeds of crime and should be confiscated, he added.

'So ashamed'

Beynon's barrister, Patrick Griffiths, said she lived in a village "where everyone knows everyone and everyone's business."

"There has been considerable gossip which has caused her shame and disgrace. She feels dreadful. She took an overdose on Christmas night.

"She is so ashamed she asked friends and relatives not to come to court today." he added.

The judge, Mr Recorder Nicholas Gareth Jones, said Beynon had breached the considerable trust placed in her.

Mark Weston of the NHS Counter Fraud Service, Wales, which investigated the case with Dyfed-Powys Police, said: "Today's sentence shows that people who defraud the NHS will be treated very seriously indeed.

"The NHS is most grateful to the police for a thorough investigation which has resulted in a successful prosecution."