A GWENT doctor accused of fraud was exposed by her former boss, who had previously been in a 13- year relationship with her, a court heard yesterday.

Nicholas Jenkins was giving evidence at Newport Crown Court in the trial of Lucy Dawson, 45, of The Narth, Monmouth, who denies two counts of fraud by failing to disclose information.

It is claimed accident and emergency doctor Dawson, who was working at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital, claimed nearly £30,000 in sick pay from the Aneurin Bevan Health Board while working as a £800-a-day locum in England. Dawson is alleged to have taken the sick leave between October 13 and 23, 2009, and November 9, 2009, to May 14, 2010.

Mr Jenkins, a consultant in emergency medicine at Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital, was Dawson’s line manager from 1993 until 2006.

He told the court he had been in a relationship with Dawson over 13 years which finished in 2006 in an “acrimonious” break-up.

Mr Jenkins said he heard “gossip” at the end of 2009 that Dawson was working in other hospitals while on sick leave.

He said he reported it to Dawson’s line manager but received “quite a dismissive response”.

Mr Jenkins explained it was his wife who later showed him the Twitter pages of Dawson which claimed she was undertaking other work.

The court previously heard Dawson had posted Tweets including ones saying she was earning “megabucks” and “a stupid amount of dosh.”

Mr Jenkins said: “I felt I had a professional obligation as a senior manager to raise the issue.”

Mr Jenkins reported Dawson to the NHS fraud hotline.

Proceeding.