A LLANYMYNECH woman stole almost £200,000 while working in the accounts department at two companies in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, a court heard.

Ann Jones, who helped herself to the cash over a 12-year period, was jailed for fraud last week for the second time inside two years.

The 60-year-old appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentence having admitted two charges of fraud between 2004 and 2012 involving CV Rollers (TPP) Ltd in Oswestry.

Jones had obtained around £76,000 from the firm based at the Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Maesbury Road.

In May 2018, Jones was jailed for two years and eight months stealing an estimated £120,000 from Jim Dorricott Construction Ltd of Minsterley, near Shrewsbury between 2013 and 2016.

As a result of the case her previous employer, CV Rollers, checked the company's records and discovered Jones had taken monies over the eight years she was with the company.

Jones, of Heritage Way, Llanymynech, who was released from her original sentence last year, has been jailed for 12 months for the Oswestry offences.

Judge Peter Barrie, who imposed the original sentence, said he could not overlook the "grave seriousness" of the Oswestry fraud in which Jones had manipulated the system,

"These were regular offences committed repeatedly over a long period of time and with a modest degree of sophistication," he said.

Oliver King, prosecuting, said Jones was the sole accounts worker for CV Rollers and she had 'inflated invoices' to suppliers, paying herself the difference.

"On other occasions she was more brazen and simply transferred money from CV Rollers account directly to her own account," he said.

Mr King said the defendant had also transferred money to her son's account and wrote company cheques out to herself.

He said timesheets were also scrutinised and it was found that she 'frequently exaggerated her hours of work' so she would get paid more.

Samantha Powis, for Jones, said there were 'exceptional circumstances' and her client had suffered from mental health issues.

An application for a confiscation order under Proceeds of Crime regulations has been made against Jones which will be considered later in the year.