Bigwig scammed uni out of thousands

A uni bigwig scammed Liverpool out of £72,000, lavishing the money on her son’s wedding and her husband’s fishing shop.

Karen Davies spent two years conning the University of Liverpool by making payments to fake student mentors.

The former staff development and training manager was jailed for 15 months after she admitted stealing the money and putting it into family bank accounts, including £27,700 for her son Jonathon Fox.

Davies, 51, was caught out last year when an investigation into unusual payments began.

She was suspended two days later on July 7 and she then disappeared but was found in a Scottish hospital suffering a breakdown.

The judge, Recorder Andrew Long said: “When confronted you initially attempted to bluster claiming expenses were legitimate but were suspended and then went missing. The involvement of your son significantly exacerbates your position. I am satisfied he would not have got involved but for you.”

Defence barrister Gwen Henshaw said Davies, “tearfully regretted” her actions and took “the lion’s share of responsibility.”

She added: “She had overcome adversity to gain a degree and worked in responsible positions in different organisations. She had previously worked with large sums of money with no difficulty and had never before betrayed the trust placed in her by her employers.

“She cites a massive personal breakdown as being the cause of what she describes as an aberration in her life.

“Her marriage is hanging on by a thread and she has lost friends and work colleagues and most of all lost her self-respect. She is extremely vulnerable and frightened of custody,”

Upon sentencing, a University spokeswoman stated: “We have a strict policy on fraudulent activity and our policies and procedures provide safeguards against malpractice.”

She then later added: “We do not tolerate any abuse of systems in ways that may be classed as potentially fraudulent.”