A convicted charity fraudster who refused to co-operate with the courts has been made subject to a confiscation order of almost £170,000.

And Wendy Megson was warned in her absence that if she failed to pay up within six months she will serve another 30 months in jail – on top of the 39 month sentence she is already serving.

Megson had refused to attend court, either in person or by video link, for her sentencing in September last year.

And she similarly refused to go on the bus to court from jail, or appear in the prison’s live link room, for a proceeds of crime hearing on Friday.

Deemster Graeme Cook had previously warned that she would be made to attend if she didn’t co-operate. But in the event the hearing went ahead in her absence.

The Deemster said Megson had voluntarily absented herself. He made a confiscation order for £169,852, out of which £31,006 is to be applied as compensation to Treasury’s social security division. She was ordered to pay within six months or serve an additional 30 month in prison, consecutive to her current sentence.

Megson, previously of Ballaradcliffe, Andreas, was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £5,700 within six months or serve an additional two months in default.

Sentencing her last year, Deemster Cook described her charity offences as the ‘planned exploitation of the public’.

She was found guilty in June to 13 charges following a four-day jury trial at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

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 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.

She had represented herself in court but was remanded in custody in the second day of her trial due to her disruptive behaviour and the trial continued in her absence, without her taking the stand.

Friday’s hearing was told that Megson had failed to provide details of her financial assets, as required. The only document she had sent to court cited the Magna Carta and railed against the ‘unconstitutional’ court process. Deemster said it was best described as ‘rambling’.

A number of bank accounts had been identified used to send money to several third parties, described in court as being ‘tainted gifts’.