Woman Appears In Court On £73K Bogus Accountant Charges

A Somerset woman, accused of posing as a qualified accountant during a four-year £73,000 fraud on a corporate consultancy firm, appeared for the first time at Hammersmith Magistrates Court today.

Vicky Payne, 41, of Station Road, Charlton Mackrell, Somerton gave no indication as to her pleas and was bailed until September 16 for a preliminary hearing at Isleworth Crown Court.

The charges relate to Hammersmith-based M-PR Consulting of Oxford Gate, Brook Green and its managing director Marc Prema-Ratner and account director Michael Mervyn-Jones.

She is charged with two counts of fraud by false representation between January 1, 2010 and May 6, this year in that she presented herself as a qualified accountant, intending to make a gain, namely £28,124.90 and £5,096.

Payne is also charged with fraud by abuse of position between January 1, 2010 and May 6, this year, namely that while occupying the position of accountant and expected to not act against the financial interests of Mr. Prema-Ratner she dishonestly abused that position to make a gain, namely £33,898.91.

She is similarly charged that between September 1, 2011 and May 6, this year she dishonestly abused her position in relation to Mr. Mervyn-Jones to make a gain, namely £6,083.12.