Dental worker jailed for defrauding patients

Published on Friday 20 February 2009 20:55

A DENTAL receptionist who defrauded patients of almost £20,000 was jailed for a year yesterday.

Adele Ballantyne copied details from patients' credit cards and files and passed them on to her stepfather, John Hill.

Hill was jailed for two years for his part in the scheme which involved him ordering goods using the details and selling them on, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard.

Their co-accused, Patrice Massey, was ordered to carry out 300 hours community service for receiving delivery of the goods – mainly industrial catering equipment – at her home in Clydebank.

Sentencing Ballantyne, Sheriff Robert Anthony told her: "You blatantly abused a position of trust and as such the only means of disposal is a term of imprisonment."

At an earlier hearing, Ballantyne, 22, of Earl Street, Scotstoun, Glasgow, admitted copying credit and debit card details while employed at dental practices in Gardner Street, Glasgow, and Victoria Road, Glasgow between 28 August, 2006, and 29 November, 2006.

Hill, 32, also of Earl Street, Scotstoun, pled guilty to using the details to order goods over the telephone.

Massey, 20, of Jean Armour Drive, Clydebank, admitted receiving the goods worth 18,599.62.

They were originally charged with defrauding 58,979.84, but the Crown accepted their pleas of guilty to the lesser amount.

Aileen Thom, the prosecutor, told the court that Ballantyne had worked at the surgery for a year and a half before she started stealing the patients' details.