A FORMER Gwent pub landlady was cleared of eight charges of theft, forgery and obtaining monetary transfer by deception.

Heather Davies, 44, of Highfield Road, Pontllanfraith, a former licensee of The Porters public house in Blackwood, was found not guilty of four counts of theft, one count of forgery, and three counts of obtaining monetary transfer by deception at Newport Crown Court.

The jury have yet to decide on two charges relating to a cheque for Davies's daughter's school fees and will resume their deliberations on Monday.

She still stands accused of one count of forgery and one count of obtaining monetary transfer by deception.

Davies was cleared of forging cheques for sums of up to £10,300 in business partner Jonathan Smith's name while he recovered from an alcohol addiction, as well as using his debit card to make payments and withdraw more than £1,000 in cash.

The charges she still faces relate to a cheque for £5,544.70 to cover her daughter's boarding school fees.

She said Mr Smith was her first boyfriend when she was 17 but they separated after 18 months together.

They met again just over three years ago and became friends, deciding to go into business together at The Porters pub in January 2006.

Mr Smith entered rehab for an alcohol problem in the summer of 2006 and gave Davies his cheque book, debit card and pin number to use in case of emergencies and to manage his bills.

The former landlady said Mr Smith had given her permission to sign the cheque for her daughters school fees as a partial repayment for money she had lent him, and he consented to the other transactions.

Davies said: "He was always aware of what I was doing, I never hid anything from him."

Davies told the court she had never taken financial advantage of Mr Smith.

Proceeding.