Manager who stole from Selsey country club ordered to pay back £25k
She was given a suspended prison sentence in February
A country club manager who has already been convicted of stealing £25,000 from her employers, has now been ordered to pay illegal profits back in compensation.
56-year-old Caroline O’Hagan, of St Albans Road in Havant, had stolen the money from the Selsey Country Club where she was the general manager, by using the club’s company credit card and cheque book.
Her scheme was discovered 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.
O'Hagan 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 May 18th, at a hearing a Confiscation Order was issued against O'Hagan for £25,749.64 with £20,807.88 being paid as compensation to the victim, under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
She was given three months to pay, and she fails to do so will face a further six months 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.