A FORMER practice manager has been jailed after transferring £596,000 from her employer's bank account into her own.

Carolyn Lightwing, 55, of St Mary's York, appeared at York Crown Court on Friday (July 12), where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud of abuse of position at an earlier hearing.

Lightwing, who had been a practice manager at Elvington Medical Practice in York, had access to the practice bank accounts, which police said she had "abused on a substantial scale” over a three year period.

Lightwing's thefts were only discovered after practice staff found discrepancies in their accounts in 2017 and once she was no longer employed by the firm. 

Lightwing later confessed to transferring the money into bank accounts that she had set up, while falsely claiming them to be a supplier to the surgery.

Police said she concealed her actions by taking money from one year's accounts to balance the previous year's, while they said the descrepancies were uncovered at a time when she could "no longer manipulate" the accounts.

They also said the money had been paid back to the practice in full, while Lightwing had previously claimed the money was used to cover bills, intending to pay it back.

On Friday, Lightwing was jailed for two years.

Commenting after Lightwing was sentenced detective constable Sarah Burton of North Yorkshire Police said: “This was a massive breach of trust by the defendant and it has had a profound effect on everyone at the surgery. 

“Thankfully the money has since been repaid in full and now that justice has been done, I hope that the staff are able to put this difficult time behind them and continue their vital role in our communities without the distraction that this audacious case has caused.”

Abigail Holdstock practice manager at Elvington Medical Practice said: “The Partners and staff of Elvington Medical Practice were shocked and upset on learning of the crime committed by their trusted, former employee and work colleague.

"The Partners have assisted the police with their investigation of the crime since it was discovered in November 2017. 

"As far as the Partners are aware, there has been no compromise to patient care as a result of Mrs Lightwing’s fraud.

 “The partners now wish to move on from what has been a very distressing chapter in the practice’s history.”