Dentist manager fiddled the accounts to steal £285k - then tried to blame her workmates

A part-time dental practice manager fiddled the accounts to steal £285,000 - then tried to blame it on her workmates. Lisa Marie Jones splashed out on luxury handbags and designer shoes, as she lived well beyond the means of her 16 hour a week job, LancsLive reports.

But when her crimes finally came to light, Jones blamed colleagues, claiming they had drugs, debts and family issues. She then claimed the owner had given her the money as they were having a secret love affair.

The 55-year-old paid herself up to £8,000 a month - more than six times her actual wage of £1, 200 a month, Preston Crown Court heard. But in 2018, Jones' lies caught up with her and she was charged with fraud and false accounting.

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On Friday, (December 8) at Preston Crown Court she was jailed for six years and nine months. Cecilia Pritchard, prosecuting, told the court Jones was employed as a practice manager at Mansion House Dental Practice in Ormskirk, Lancs, from the 1980s to 2016.

She had full responsibility for the payroll and finances of the business, in addition to admin and reception duties. In 2000, dentist John Howarth took over the business after working as a dentist at the practice for two years.

Jones continued her role as practice manager with an agreement any overtime would be paid by time off in lieu. Mr Howarth said he trusted Jones implicitly - however, unknown to him, Jones doctored cheques to add additional numbers after they had been signed, and made out cheques to her own account or for cash.

Mr Howarth took on extra work to try to keep the business afloat, working up to 52