Wedding party scam couple face prison term
VICTIMS have welcomed news that the boss behind a £100,000 wedding party scam has finally faced justice.
Lisa Holt’s Halesowen firm, Bake a Cake, failed to provide couples with services for their big day, despite taking deposits and payments.
Dudley Trading Standards received 150 complaints alone about the company which, according to its website, “adds a personal touch to any special event”.
This week, Lisa Holt of Albert Road, Halesowen, and her husband Ryan, both 41, were warned they face jail after pleading guilty to a string of fraud and other offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
One victim, Sian Evans, lost £1,000 when she booked a package in March 2104 to cover table decorations and coverings, food, a DJ, balloons and decorations for her wedding.
Miss Evans, from Stourbidge, said Holt and her company seemed legitimate in all their dealings until she put a post on Facebook saying she was closing the business.
Miss Evans said: “I was angry. I’m a lot calmer about it now. It’s unfair to do it to people. I didn’t not have a lot of money at the time. It’s not a nice thing to do to anybody.”
At the time, hundreds of disgruntled customers formed a Facebook group under the banner ‘Bake A Cake Customers Looking for Replacement Suppliers’.
Mrs Holt pleaded guilty to defrauding Bake a Cake customers between May 1 and August 31, 2015 and making false representations to internet voucher firm Wowcha on July 15 2015.
She further admitted making a false claim to AXA Insurance on August 18, 2016 that a £6,000 hog roast machine had been stolen during a burglary.
Her husband also pleaded guilty to money laundering and admitted converting criminal property between May 1 2014 and August 31 2015 by transferring funds between bank accounts registered to him and his wife.
The couple were bailed and are scheduled to appear for sentencing on February 3.