Fake surgeon gave dying woman false hope

A FANTASIST posed as an NHS surgeon at her local hairdressers and gave bogus medical advice in exchange for free haircuts, a court heard.

Julie Higgins, 54, a first-aider, pretended she was a surgeon and oncology specialist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to dupe terminally ill Angela Murray, Poole Magistrates’ Court was told.

The self-confessed compulsive liar was introduced to the victim through a hairdresser they both knew. Mrs Murray suffered from pulmonary hy- pertension and a very rare dry fibrosis of the lungs, similar to cystic fibrosis.

Over 12 months, Higgins gave Mrs Murray “false hope” that she could get her a lung transplant. Higgins told Mrs Murray that she was travelling around the world searching for donor organs, including a visit to Nice after the terrorist atrocity of July 14 last year. She also said that she was carrying out aid work in Syria, and had been badly injured when her convoy was attacked. Higgins, from Poole, Dorset, texted Mrs Murray that if she did not “make it” she could have her lungs.

During this time, Higgins obtained free haircuts at the hairdressers in Swanage, Dorset on the strength of her “good work”.

Her lies were unravelled in September by Mrs Murray’s family, who reported Higgins to police. She pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud and another of impersonating a doctor.

Mrs Murray died last October. Gregory Murray said his wife had “lost hope” when she found out the truth and “her health deteriorated rapidly”.

Higgins said her behaviour was due to a recently diagnosed mental illness. She will be sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on March 24.