A Cardiff estate agent who fabricated a wedding and forged travel documents to steal thousands from her fiancé’s mother and friends has avoided jail.
Charlotte Blackwell, 31, wept as Cardiff Crown Court branded her deception a “pack of lies.”
Blackwell, from Coity, Bridgend, was already serving a suspended sentence for defrauding a children’s cancer charity.
WalesOnline reported that her latest scam, running from November 2022 to May 2024, targeted her fiancé Daniel Thomas’ mother, Paula Thomas, and three of her friends.
NON-EXISTENT WEDDING
She convinced them to pay for a non-existent overseas wedding, pocketing £12,682. When one victim checked with TUI, she discovered the booking reference was fake, prompting Blackwell to send forged flight confirmations and bank transactions.
Ms Chapman, one of the victims, said she now struggles with trust, while Ms Morse required medical help for anxiety.
When arrested, Blackwell admitted the fraud, blaming gambling debts. She pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud.
Despite the severity of her actions, Blackwell avoided an immediate prison sentence.
SUSPENDED 12-MONTH TERM
Judge Jonathan Rees KC handed her a 12-month suspended term, 120 hours of unpaid work and five days of rehabilitation. She must repay her victims £3,500 each, totaling £13,750, at £400 per month.
Blackwell, a full-time estate agent earning £1,700 a month, had previously scammed the children’s cancer charity Morgan’s Army out of £4,000 by falsely claiming her daughter needed treatment.
Although the charity recovered the funds, its founders said Blackwell “preyed on us at one of our most vulnerable periods.”
The judge noted Blackwell’s compliance with prior sentencing but condemned her repeated dishonesty, warning of imprisonment if she reoffends.
