A woman who stole more than £155,000 from a medical practice while having an affair with one of the doctors is facing jail. Jacqueline Rodger, 55, had a secret relationship with Dr Iain Hathorn while employed as practice manager at the Greenhills Medical Practice in East Kilbride.
They had been having regular trysts since 2011 but the illicit affair ended when Rodger got married. But the relationship was revealed after an investigation was launched into cash problems at the practice. The probe led to a confession from Hathorn who admitted being in a “proper sexual affair” with Rodger.
After the affair became public, Rodger, who claimed to have taken the money due to stress, told Hathorn by text: “Iain, it’s Jacqueline. It was me that did it. I’m so sorry, so ashamed. You’re all such lovely people.”
A message sent to another doctor at the surgery said: “I am so sorry and ashamed of what I have done. You were all so good to me, I deserve everything that’s coming my way.”
The investigation showed Rodger, who had worked at the centre since 2008, had been moving money to her own account disguised as dozens of bogus payments to locum doctors and office supply firms. Rodger, of East Kilbride, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court where she admitted embezzling £155,012.71 between April 2014 and February 2018.
She had originally been accused of pocketing £224,375.39 but prosecutors accepted her guilty plea to the lesser amount. The court was told the medical centre was forced to close after the money was stolen.
Sheriff Martin Jones KC deferred sentence on first offender Rodger until next month for reports and continued her bail. NHS Lanarkshire was approached for comment.
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