An agent for a loan company lent herself more than £6,000 using false names and addresses, a judge heard today (Monday).

Alexandra Jane Evans, aged 33, disappeared when the fraud came to light and it took five years to track her down.

Evans, who at the time was living in Haverfordwest, admitted 11 offences of fraud and was made the subject of a suspended prison sentence.

Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court Evans had been an agent for Provident Financial in the Pembrokeshire area and her job was to collect payments from clients and to grant new loans.

To approve new loans she was supposed to visit the applicants at home and to ensure they were using proper identities.

But she invented nine clients and falsely claimed that an existing client had taken out two more loans, eventually pocketing £6,200.

Mr Ibrahim said Evans was placed on a police “wanted” list but managed to evade the law between April, 2009 and 2014. She had once been detained at Bristol airport returning from a holiday but had a young child with her and had to be released.

After her eventual arrest, said Mr Ibrahim, Evans continued to maintain the loans had been genuine, although the address of one client turned out to be a branch of Greggs the bakers in Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, and several others simply did not exist.

But on the day her trial was due to begin she changed her pleas to guilty.

Evans’ barrister, Huw Wallace, said she had got into financial difficulties.

Judge Keith Thomas said after the offending had been discovered Evans had buried her head in the sand.

She was jailed for 11 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to repay Provident Financial £2,000 at the rate of £150 a month.