U2 star’s personal assistant jailed over £2.2m embezzlement

Last week, Carol Hawkins was convicted of 181 counts of theft from the musician’s bank accounts over four years.

The U2 bassist was not in court as the 48-year-old was led away by prison guards.

She stared straight ahead as Judge Patrick McCartan delivered the sentence, trying to contain her emotions.

“Nothing, frankly, could explain away the scale of this dishonesty other than the greed in pursuit of a lavish lifestyle that was no responsibility of Mr Clayton’s,” said Judge McCartan.

He said the fact Ms Hawkins maintained her innocence throughout the trial was a factor in his sentencing and suggested if given an opportunity to commit a similar crime in the future, he was not entirely confident she would resist.

“These were crimes rooted in greed and nothing else,” he said.

“Whether she was a fool or clever person really matters very little.”