Court of Appeal have rejected retirement village and aged care finance officer Coral Dyason’s claim that her jail sentence of five years with a non-parole period of three years.

She pleaded the sentence was 'manifestly excessive' after pleading guilty to having stolen $1.4 million from St John’s Village in Wangaratta.

The judges held that she had carefully calculated her course of conduct over several years and spent the funds on lifestyle expenses such as overseas travel, gifts to friends and donations to charities.

Just $100,000 was recovered.