Senior manager found guilty of defrauding NHS
ASENIOR NHS manager has been found guilty of defrauding her employers after being caught competing in horse riding competitions while on sick leave.
Elise David, 33, took four months off from her job as a quality manager at the Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
She claimed to be suffering from a back injury after falling from her horse on June 5, 2016, but during the course of her absence from work she took part in a number of showjumping, dressage and cross country competitions.
Her offending came to light after her employers saw results in her name on the British Eventing website and came into possession of photographs which showed her riding a horse at some of the events.
David, of West Road, Nottage, in Porthcawl, denied one count of fraud but was found guilty by a jury following a three-day trial at Newport Crown Court yesterday.
In total, David received £8,216.72 fraudulently between July 1, 2016, and October 11, 2016, with the beginning of her sick leave deemed genuine.
During her trial, David claimed that horseriding was part of her recovery from the back injury. But she told employers she was barely able to walk and that she was unable to drive while she was competing.
Sentencing directly after the guilty verdict was returned, Judge Daniel Williams described the defendant as “cynical” and “dishonest”.
He said: “You claimed to have been too unfit to return to work for a period of four months but you were taking part in showjumping tournaments. That I’m afraid says it all.
“You had to attend a number of sickness reviews at the hospital. They were unaware you had been showjumping whilst on the sick and your performance at those meetings was comical. You appeared to be unable to walk unaided.
“That sorry figure was a contrast to the photos I have seen of you towering on your horse whilst competing. Your actions were cynical and deliberate and dishonest and you felt entitled to defraud the public purse.”
David was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay £8,216 in compensation to the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and £2,500 towards the prosecution’s costs.