Cross Hands mum stole jailed paedo's savings

Michelle Beech, of 25 Maes yr Haf, admitted stealing £1,872.06 from two accounts belonging to Jonathon Treharne while he was serving a nine-month prison term for breaching an order banning him from spending more than seven nights away from his registered home.

Treharne, who was jailed in 2009 for possession of indecent images of children after he was caught taking photographs of young girls undressing in a supermarket change room, was made subject to the order following his release from jail in November 2010.

However, he began a relationship with Beech after contacting her through the online relationships site and went on to spend 37 nights at the house she shared with her children.

Magistrates at Llanelli were told Beech had known nothing of Treharne’s background.

“She was blissfully unaware that he had a history of sexual offences against children,” magistrates were told.

Following his imprisonment, Treharne gave Beech his bank details and asked that she monitor his accounts.

Instead she withdrew cash and spent the rest on Christmas shopping. The theft was only discovered when Treharne was released from jail.

When interviewed by police, Beech told officers: “I was hurt and I wanted to hurt him back for what he put me and my children through.”

Defence solicitor Peter Rees Jones told the court: “This is not the usual case of getting back at an ex-partner.

“She has two young children and the reason he was returned to prison was because he should not have been anywhere near children.

“She was shocked when she found out about his past “When the police told her the danger that she and her children had been in there was a degree of retribution.”

The court was told there was no indication that Treharne had acted improperly towards Beech’s children.

Magistrates granted Beech a 24-month conditional discharge and ordered she pay £85 court costs and a £15 legal surcharge.

She was also ordered to repay Treharne in full.