Woman Who Stole Money Must Repay Her West Sussex Employers

Wednesday, 26 May 2021 14:36

By John Warburton @Warblefly

Selsey Country Club (Photo: © Simon Carey / Creative Commons)

A former manager of a country club in West Sussex, who has already been convicted of stealing £25,000 from her employers, has now been ordered to pay illegal profits back in compensation.

Caroline O’Hagan, 56, of St Albans Road, Havant, had stolen the money from the Selsey Country Club where she was the general manager.

She'd done so by using the club’s company credit card and cheque book.

However her scheme began to unravel when the Club undertook an update of their accounts.

O’Hagan initially maintained a recently deceased director had authorised bonus payments for her hard work, but the truth came out following an investigation by Sussex Police detectives.

As a result, she was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence at Lewes Crown Court in February 2021 having admitted two counts of fraud by false representation.

Enquiries continued through an expert police financial investigator and at the same Court on 18 May, at a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) a Confiscation Order was issued against O'Hagan for £25,749.64.

Of this, £20,807.88 must be paid as compensation to the victim.

This represents the value of the monies stolen plus the increase in the value of money.

She was given three months to pay and, if she fails to do so, will face a further six months added to her suspended sentence, and will still have to pay.

Detective Inspector Mark O'Brien of the Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit said:

"We will always seek opportunities to strip offenders through POCA of the profits of their crime, even after conviction, and on this occasion we are glad to have helped a legitimate local business to recover their funds."

A further £7,418.68 O'Hagan had obtained through three unauthorised debit card transactions has already been refunded to the Club by the bank.