Wrexham husband and wife to be sentenced after DWP payment fraud

Joanne Jones, of Coronation Street in Cefn Mawr, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old had previously entered guilty pleas to nine offences of fraud by abuse of position, which took place over a seven month period between 2018 and 2019.

Thomas McLoughlin, prosecuting, told the court that during the period of the offending, Jones was a "well-regarded" senior member of staff of the DWP.

Using her access to internal systems and details she had no legitimate reason to use, she made fraudulent maternity allowance payments to bank accounts either belonging to her or under her control - to a total value of £175,157.59.

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Mr McLoughlin said the defendant then diverted the monies into some 14 separate accounts from there, again either owned by her or held in trust.

Two of her fraudulent payments were diverted into the account of her husband, Philip Jones - aged 39, also of Coronation Street - who was also to be sentenced today (Wednesday, June 14) for an offence of retaining wrongful credit.

In 2019, she was arrested at her home and a "substantial" amount of paperwork relating to the bank accounts she'd been putting money into was found.

When interviewed by police, she said she believed she and her husband had "just got greedy."

Joanne Jones shared her method for making the illegal transactions with police, and confessed she'd even used some of the ill-gotten-gains to fund a holiday in Tenerife.

She said at times, some clerical forms had to be signed off by a colleague, but the details and figures were often "waved through" despite "generally not being checked."

Mr McLoughlin told the court that £67,000 of her money had been restrained in accounts by Liverpool Crown Court in 2019.

Judge Niclas Parry told the court that up until that point, he'd been operating on the basis she had no possibility to pay any of the fraudulently taken money back - which would have meant immediate custody.

But, he said, given the £67,000 held in those accounts, investigations would need to be carried out as to whether the court could simply order the cash to be handed over as compensation - an act which would make a difference to her sentence.

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Max Saffman, defending, told the court a proceeds of crime act timetable would compel her to part with the money in any event and that it would then "work its way back to the DWP."

Judge Parry told the court: "This is a matter of such public importance; any sentence not involving immediate custody could only be comprehended if there was an assurance that over half of this money could be repaid."

The Judge told Joanne Jones: "You will have come here anticipating the matter being disposed of and I regret it cannot be.

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"But it's going to be a very important consideration as to whether money is repaid and how much.

"It's right that I allow an opportunity to see if that's a feasible mitigating feature."

The court heard Philip Jones, in his pre-sentence report, had proposed putting forward £11,000 in compensation, which Judge Parry acknowledged.

He adjourned the sentence of both defendants to July 19, with a proceeds of crime act mention hearing to take place for Joanne Jones on that occasion as well.