A FORMER senior midwife who admitted making “glaring errors” when filling out time and expenses sheets denied committing fraud.

Gaynor Samantha Thomas, 49, of Sir Charles Crescent, Newport, denies fraudulently claiming £4,415 worth of earnings and travel expenses she was not entitled to while employed by Aneurin Bevan Health Board betweenMay 2011 and March 2012, and said she was “appalled” at the errors.

Thomas’ trial heard how she also worked at Millview House and Lodge care home in Newbridge between June 2011 and January 2012, when she was required to be available to answer emergency calls from junior midwives she was supervising.

Thomas, who earned £34,500 a year, is also said to have used her company Blackberry to make more than £300 worth of personal calls and texts between April 2011 and March 2012, and claiming petrol expenses and annual leave she was not entitled to while on secondment to the University of Wales in Cardiff.

Yesterday Abergavenny Magistrates Court heard from Thomas’ former line manager Liz Smith, who told her she was not eligible to claim mileage to and from the university.

Mrs Smith, who countersigned all of Thomas’ mileage claims, said it was not her job to check whether the claims were valid.

She said when supervising midwives are on call, they must be able to respond to calls at any time and in the event of a “catastrophic disaster”

such as a death, may be called in to help.

The court also heard from the heath board’s counterfraud specialist Joanne Bodenham, in the form of a transcript of an interview with Thomas.

She asked Thomas why she said she was on annual leave from one institution but claimed mileage she ws not entitled to.

Thomas said the breakdown of her marriage contributed towards her state of mind at the time.

In the interview Thomas said: “I am appalled but I’m thinking about how I was at that time and it’s purely an error on my part.

“It was not intentional or deliberate, this has been a very traumatic and crucial time in my life.

“I can see how it looks on paper, I’ve made glaring errors and it’s quite worrying to think I’ve done that.”

Prosecutor Nicholas Rooke told the court Thomas has since paid back the phone bill.

The trial resumes on August 12.

Proceeding.