A convicted charity fraudster remanded in prison ahead of sentencing has had her bail application refused.

The court heard that Wendy Megson, also known as Wendy Elizabeth, had refused to attend court either in person or by video link.

Megson said she didn’t feel safe to attend court in person but had then also refused an offer to appear via video link from prison, Deemster Graham Cook was told.

Deemster Cook dismissed her bail application and also brought forward her date for sentencing from September 20 to September 8.

‘There is no reason to delay it any longer,’ he said.

Megson, aged 61, of Ballaradcliffe, Andreas, was found guilty to 13 charges following a jury trial at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

She had denied nine counts of benefit fraud, two charges of charity fraud, one count of fraud by false representation and one of obtaining remission of fees by deception.

The jury heard she was the director of horse therapy company Manx Equitherapy Limited (MEL) who falsely held it out to be a not-for-profit charity, and had ‘stolen’ the registration numbers of genuine charities to give it an ‘air of authenticity’.

Megson was convicted in her absence, having been remanded in jail by Deemster Graham Cook on the second day of her trial for her disruptive behaviour. She had been representing herself in court but chose not to take the stand to give evidence in her defence.

MEL was a ‘mask or front for her own greed’ to obtain as much financial benefit as possible, said prosecutor James Robinson. Analysis of its bank account showed payments for rent, meals out, flights, an electrical store and nights in hotels.

The company was incorporated in 2012, with the defendant as a director, with the stated aim to use horses to provide therapy.

Mr Robinson said Megson was overpaid a total of £31,366 in benefits over a period of four years or so by claiming she was too ill to work and failing to declare she was earning an income from MEL.

MEL’s bank account had credits made to it totalling £114,000 and was used as the accused’s ‘personal piggy bank’, the jury was told.

Despite never having been registered as a charity it was repeatedly held out expressly or by implication to be one. This enabled it to avoid financial oversight.

There were references on its website and Facebook page to it being a charity or charitable organisation seeking donations. There were similar claims on the JustGiving and easyfundraising platforms.

MEL used the charity number from a different charity, Abandoned Children of Romania, which was set up in 2006 and later changed its name to Acorn. The accused became its chairman and secretary in 2012.

Her company used the registered number of a second charity, IoM Sailing and Boating Trust, in its application to the Tesco Bags of Help scheme.

MEL used its claimed charity status to obtain relief on fees totalling £2,660 which would otherwise have been due when it filed its accounts.

Following the unanimous jury verdicts, Deemster Cook explained why the defendant had been absent for most of her trial.

He said the Megson did not accept the jurisdiction of the court and her defence was based on claims of due process, equality of arms and it being unconstitutional. The Deemster said such a defence had ‘no place in a court of law’.

He said she had been disruptive and he had remanded the defendant in custody for a ‘cooling-off period’ but she had refused to apologise for her behaviour.