Dying woman lost £92,000 to fake barrister
Fantasists’ fraud ‘could total £330,000’
“FANTASIST” who posed as a barrister to trick a terminal cancer sufferer out of her life savings has been jailed for eight years.
Michael Cremin conned Sandra Burch out of £92,000 in a fraudulent property deal to buy himself a £29,000 Volkswagen Scirocco.
Ms Burch, 51, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, quit her job when she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and was relying on her pension when she fell victim to the fraudster.
She was forced to return to work part-time after Cremin conned her out of her life savings.
Cremin carried out other frauds to purchase at least 14 cars which Gloucestershire Police believe total more than £330,000.
The 41-year-old, who advertised himself as a lawyer and advocate but has been described by police as a fantasist, was listed on a legitimate chambers website and falsely claimed to have a law degree from the University of London.
In reality, while Cremin worked on several cases as a legal representative, he had no legal qualifications and a history of using his knowledge of the legal system to threaten people.
Expensive cars were a recurring theme, with Cremin also found guilty of making fraudulent representations to acquire finance for top-of -the-range vehicles including Toyota, Lexus and Volkswagen models.
He impersonated a barrister in correspondence with several people, in one case writing to a couple using the name of a real barrister and falsely claiming they had breached planning regulations.
He also provided false employment references to a lettings agency in Cirencester when he was a tenant at a house in the Gloucestershire town.
Cremin then disputed the owners’ right to inspect the property and forced them to take action at the county court and then the Court of Appeal before he was finally evicted.
It caused the elderly couple who had invested in the house as part of their retirement plan months of distress, health problems, lost rent and £20,000 in legal fees.
Cremin, of Cirencester, was found guilty of six counts of fraud and one count of pretending to be a barrister following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.
David Nathan QC, defending, said: “The impact upon Ms Burch is horrific. When you read her impact statement it is impossible not to be moved.”
Jailing Cremin for eight years, Judge Michael Longman said he had used “bluff and bluster” to defraud his victims.
“You have been convicted of six counts of fraud and one count of pretending to be a barrister by the jury who saw through the lies you told in the days you were giving evidence,” he said.
The impact upon Ms Burch is horrific. David Nathan QC, defending.