Woman Who Faked Pregnancy and Stole £125,000 Ordered to Repay Only £2,000

A "compulsive liar" who faked a pregnancy and stole £125,000 from her employers, spending the money on hotel stays and clubbing, has been ordered to repay only £2,000. Megan Reynolds, 29, was spared prison last year after it was discovered she had accumulated significant expenses on company cards and attempted to conceal her theft by fabricating invoices.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Reynolds, a mother of two from Rainham, Essex, defrauded at least two companies. She also took out a £1,000 loan using her boyfriend's name without his knowledge. After her employers identified financial irregularities, Reynolds attempted to cover her tracks by remotely deleting emails.

The court was previously told that Reynolds has a history of dishonesty, including fabricating a relative's cancer diagnosis to take time off work and deceiving her boyfriend with a fake scan photo to claim she was pregnant. Despite stealing a total of £126,984, she has now been ordered to repay just £2,017, representing her realisable assets.

Reynolds had previously pleaded guilty to three fraud offenses and received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. Between November 2019 and March 2021, she embezzled £78,000 from CSL Power Systems, an electrical machinery firm based in Farningham, where she worked as a bookkeeper. She had access to the company's credit cards, which she used for fraudulent transactions including car insurance, hotel bookings, expensive dinners, and a trip to Amsterdam.

An invoice for a £75.96 spill kit was used to disguise a purchase of dog chews, and an invoice for black frames was used to conceal the purchase of a set of Tefal pans. CSL Power Systems described their former employee as a "compulsive liar."

Following her dismissal, Reynolds secured employment at ATL Retail Limited in Sevenoaks, where she spent £18,500 of company funds between April 2021 and January 2022.

Reynolds reappeared in court on Monday to determine the amount she would have to repay under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Although the total benefit from her crimes was £126,984, Judge Julian Smith could only issue a confiscation order for her realisable assets, amounting to £2,017. This sum is to be distributed as compensation to her victims, with CSL Power Systems receiving £1,229, Barclays Bank £381, Axa Travel Insurance £376, and Lantern Debt Recovery £30.

Reynolds was warned that failure to repay the £2,017 within three months would result in a three-month prison sentence. Judge Smith also noted that further confiscation proceedings could occur if she were to come into substantial money in the future.

During Reynolds' sentencing hearing last year, the judge remarked that she had repeatedly sought to enrich herself at others' expense. However, her lawyer stated that Reynolds was devastated by the impact of her actions and expressed remorse, saying, "None of it was worth it. That is not me anymore."

As part of her suspended sentence, Reynolds was required to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirements and 200 hours of unpaid work. A spokesperson for CSL Power Systems previously expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating it sent "the wrong message" to society.