A WIDOW has spoken of her traumatic year in which she was accused of fraud and lost her husband to cancer.

Marlene Townes, a recepionist at the dental practice in Princel Lane, Dedham, was charged with conspiring with her boss, Geoffrey O’Sullivan, to falsify patients’ records.

She was cleared of any wrondoing earlier this month but O’Sullivan was jailed for the scam, which resulted in a £10,000 overpayment by the Dental Practice Board.

Mrs Townes, of Merivale Close, Lawford, says the experience has left her upset and angry.

She was charged in February 2007 and had to wait more than two years to clear her name, during which time her husband David lost his fight with cancer.

The 58-year-old said: “I worked for him (O’Sullivan) for 16 years, I loved my job.

“I have been in dentistry all my life, I was with my previous boss for 20 years.

“I loved all the patients, they all got on with me.

“It was a huge shock when this all started. The past 18 months have been horrendous.

“When the police came, they thought I was involved – I was gobsmacked, I was appalled.

“It was absolutely terrible appearing in court, I was absolutely beside myself.

“Crown court was so scary. I just couldn’t think of what was going to happen, but I was aquitted without even a question put to me.”

Mrs Townes lost her husband to cancer while she was awaiting trial.

She continued: “He had a prostate operation seven years ago and he was about to get the all clear.

“Six months down the line, the cancer returned and went to his bowel and then to his liver.

“My husband and I were so happy together, we would have been married 40 years this year.

“I looked after him for two weeks and in April 2008, he died at home, while all this (the fraud investigation) was going on at the same time.

“It was terrible, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Mrs Townes is awaiting an employment tribunal against O’Sullivan, who was jailed for four months, over her treatment during her last two years at the practice.