An RAF veteran who was entrusted with the finances at a GP practice in south Wales stole £37,000 from the struggling business, spending the money on online shopping and other expenses.
Rachel Pompa, from Morriston, Swansea, served as a paramedic with the RAF in Afghanistan and had publicly shared how she helped refugees from Ukraine settle in Wales. She was the practice manager and a partner at the Margaret Street medical centre in Ammanford, where her role included running payroll, paying suppliers and bills, and managing all financial transactions.
Theft uncovered at Ammanford surgery
In 2022, a doctor at the surgery raised concerns about "irregular financial transactions" on the business's Lloyd's bank account. Subsequent checks showed Pompa had been accessing the account to buy goods and subscriptions, including from Amazon.
Pompa was suspended and in December 2022 wrote a letter of resignation, admitting she had made mistakes and had made transactions without checking first. She was interviewed by police in February 2023 and denied stealing £105,000, the original figure in the case. She declined to attend follow-up interviews in June 2024 and September 2024, with police receiving a GP letter saying it would not be in her best interests to be questioned again.
Impact on practice partners and staff
In statements read to Swansea Crown Court, the remaining partners described the "enormous detrimental impact" of the offending on the surgery's running, on services offered to patients, and on staff morale. The theft was called a "major insult, financially and personally" by someone they had trusted, and staff were left "deeply shocked and distressed".
Rachel Jayne Pompa, of Lon Penfro, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston, had pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between 2019 and 2022. Her plea was on the basis she stole £37,000, after an earlier basis of £16,000 was not accepted by the prosecution.
Sentencing and compensation order
Owen Williams, for Pompa, said she had been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder, "directly attributable" to her 12 years as an RAF paramedic, including tours of Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He said the offending occurred while her mental health was deteriorating.
Judge Huw Rees said the theft was not done out of greed but a "misplaced conclusion" about what to do given her family's financial situation after her husband's accident. With a one-third discount for her guilty plea, Pompa was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a probation requirement. A proceeds of crime investigation will be launched, with a £37,000 compensation order to be made from a confiscation amount once the sale of the marital home is completed.
