Guilty, the £130,000 wedding scammer
Couples who paid for a dream day at castle left in lurch after event planner stole their cash
A WEDDING planner at a ‘fairy tale’ Scottish castle scammed £130,000 from dozens of engaged couples in a sickening con to feed his gambling habit.
Craig Williamson, 42, double and triple booked the 15th century venue before vanishing to Ibiza with the cash.
For nearly two years he defrauded a ‘string’ of couples, some of whom gave him £19,000 towards their big days at Guthrie Castle, Angus, a court heard.
he used the money to flee Britain but also gambled away thousands – including blowing £5,000 in just one 24-hour spree. Williamson admitted the crimes yesterday at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Victim Brian Juckiewicz, 27, had been due to marry Megan McNamee, 26, at the castle in July but their wedding was cancelled when Williamson vanished with £6,000 of their wedding fund after triplebooking the venue.
the couple have rearranged for September after the cost of their nuptials was met by the castle’s American owner, philanthropist Dan Pena, 72.
Mr Juckiewicz, from Dundee, said: ‘the whole thing has been so stressful for us.
‘I hope he gets what he deserves. Megan and I can now put this behind us.’
Williamson was employed as Castle and Estate Manager in November 2014 and was in charge of all events.
In April he told colleagues he was going to visit his ill father in Glasgow, but they became concerned when he failed to answer his phone.
Senior staff accessed his emails and found messages from Alice Cannon, who had given Williamson £19,000 for her wedding a week later.
Fiscal depute Eilidh robertson told the court: ‘this alarmed them... [they] had no knowledge of any such wedding booking. A missing person’s inquiry was launched.’
Williamson had withdrawn £6,000 on April 4 and boarded a Eurostar to Paris before heading to Ibiza on April 25. he had been giving out his own bank details and had cheques made out to him.
Miss robertson said: ‘In total 39 bridal parties paid a total of around £130,000.’
Kayleigh Ferguson, 32, from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, handed over nearly £19,000 for her wedding to Justin Foster in June. Staff found no record of the booking.
Mr Pena paid for the big day. he has cancelled bookings for next year, and told police the company may go ‘bankrupt’.
he has issued refunds and paid for weddings. Mr Pena said he was ‘horrified’ when told what had happened, adding: ‘It’s very sad when you put your trust in people and they let you down.
‘I felt sorry for everybody involved so when I had the opportunity to make right, I did. I will never understand how this kind of thing happens and why it happens.’
Not all the victims had been identified yet due to the lack of paperwork.
Williamson handed himself in to Dundee police on May 8. he pleaded guilty to fraud.
Billy rennie, defending, said: ‘he has made efforts to resolve this case from an early stage.’
Sentence was deferred until next month and Williamson was remanded into custody.
‘Has been so stressful for us’