A WOMAN accused of stealing from the private jet aircraft firm where she worked has said she did not know how money ended up in her account.

Grace Folan, of Oxford Road, Kidlington, pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft from Hangar 8 Ltd between April and July last year.

But the 28-year-old said yesterday at Oxford Crown Court about £5,500 must have been transferred to her and her then boyfriend’s accounts by mistake.

Prosecutor Edward Culver said Folan was the payment controller for the aircraft management company, based at Oxford Airport.

The barrister told the jury she was fired on July 4 last year because of “concerns about her timekeeping”. He said two payments intended for the company’s suppliers were paid into Folan’s bank account on April 19 and July 3.

A further payment of £2,500 was made on June 12 into the account of her then boyfriend Jon Mahon, who has admitted handling stolen goods, he added.

Yesterday, defence barrister Benjamin Newton asked her: “Can you explain how the money on April 5 went into your bank account?”

Folan said: “No, I can’t, I can assume, but I don’t know.”

Asked by Mr Culver what she thought had happened to the payments, Folan said it could be because of a power cut.

She said: “When the system went down everything had to be re-entered constantly.

“It is not the first or the last time that payments (went into the wrong accounts).”

Folan said she had not paid the money back because her solicitor advised her not to contact Hanger 8 until the trial was over.

Mr Culver told her: “The truth is that you are a dishonest person, a liar and a thief.”

She shook her head and replied: “It’s so hard to hear, but no.”

The trial continues.

 

 

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.