Family conned by ‘cancer’ lie
Cash was spent on breast op
A WOMAN claimed she had breast cancer and conned her mother and auntie out of £9,000 which she spent on a breast op.
Julie Barnett, 36, of Llanelli, even went as far as to claim the disease was terminal and admitted herself to hospital to keep up the deception.
In a text to her mother Jeanette Morris, Barnett said: “The cancer is at stage three grade two measuring 4.7cm. Chemo is being used to shrink it before a double mastectomy.... If what they find in the chest is cancer it’s bumped up to stage four instantly but fingers crossed.”
The defendant later claimed she was unable to have chemotherapy and the operation was delayed, but she sent photos of herself in a hospital gown and would wear dressings.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the deception came to light after Barnett took a substance and was admitted to hospital on December 6, 2018, but when her mother arrived she asked a nurse about her daughter’s cancer and was told she did not have it.
Prosecutor Susan Ferrier said money given to Barnett, also known as Julie Dainton, for private cancer treatment was frittered away on cosmetic breast surgery, rent arrears and to pay off a drug debt.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court, Ms Morris addressed her daughter directly. She said: “You have completely shattered my life, as my daughter and youngest of five children I adored you and you were a good child growing up.
“I know there has been trauma throughout your life and all I wanted to do was to protect you.
“Having to tell my sister the money she provided in good faith for cancer treatment was a lie was traumatic and my daughter had only tried to make a financial gain by playing on our vulnerabilities for us not wanting to see her in pain.
“My world imploded. You hear the word cancer and you think the worst, no mother should outlive their children and I cannot see how you believed this was morally possible. This wasn’t a tongue-incheek remark but over a prolonged period of time and I now have constant anger, shame and embarrassment living with me every day of my life.
“My biggest loss is that of a daughter, a relationship that will never be repaired. We will never have the relationship we once had. I wish you will seek help for your issues but I will never be able to forgive you and support you on that process.
“Julie Barnett has not just betrayed me and my sister but my whole family. She has never apologised for her actions or attempted to repay the money she took from us.”
During the course of the fraud, Barnett would tell her mother when she visited her home that nurses had left earlier that day and would dodge questions whenever her mother raised them. Despite Ms Morris being told on December 6 that she did not have cancer, the defendant continued with the pretence until her victim confronted her and called police.
Following her arrest, Barnett, of Glasfryn, Dafen, told police she had spent £3,000 on breast enlargement surgery, £1,000 on rent arrears and the rest was used to pay off a drug debt. She later pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.
In mitigation, Georgina Buckley said her client was involved in a violent relationship at the time and went to the doctors after discovering a lump in her breast – but she was told she was pregnant with another man’s baby.
The barrister said: “She was in fear with how her husband would react and when she returned he assumed the worst and she failed to correct him. This is where the lie began and very quickly snowballed.”
Ms Buckley said Barnett later had an abortion which caused a downward spiral into taking drugs and alcohol, but since then she has got a wellpaid job, is drug and alcohol free and is living with her two teenage children.
Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “What a wicked and awful lie that was.
“You can hang your head in shame because you should be thoroughly ashamed of what you did.”
Due to the delay in the case reaching court, Judge Jenkins sentenced Barnett to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £9,000 in compensation.