A mother of two who fabricated her child’s terminal illness to deceive a charity for £4,000 is facing court again for a fraudulent wedding scheme.
Charlotte Blackwell, a 31-year-old estate agent, staged a fake wedding abroad to swindle money from relatives and friends, using it to clear her online bingo debts. She was fined for evading her community service penalty.
Blackwell, known for her repeated deceitful acts, narrowly avoided imprisonment previously for attempting to swindle £4,000 from the children’s cancer charity Morgan’s Army. She received a suspended sentence after falsely claiming her daughter required treatment in Germany when she was actually in cancer remission.
Morgan’s Army, established by the parents of the late three-year-old cancer victim Morgan Ridler, fell victim to Blackwell’s deception shortly after Morgan’s passing in June 2023, granting her £4,000 under false pretenses.
Natalie Ridler, Morgan’s mother, revealed that Blackwell exploited their vulnerability by fabricating a medical emergency. In a separate incident, Blackwell duped her acquaintances into contributing £12,682 for a non-existent wedding through forged travel documents and hotel reservations.
Despite being sentenced to unpaid work and rehabilitation, Blackwell neglected her community service duties, attending only 21 out of 34 sessions and breaching the terms on multiple occasions. She was fined and instructed to fulfill her obligations promptly.
Judge Eugene Egan cautioned Blackwell to comply with the court order, emphasizing the importance of completing the assigned tasks. Blackwell’s victims included her future mother-in-law Paula Thomas, along with family friends Helen Morse, Sue Chapman, and Tracey Roberts.
During her previous court appearance, Blackwell confessed to orchestrating the wedding scam to settle her debts and gambling losses. She expressed regret and stated that she had taken measures to address her gambling addiction.
Judge Jonathan Rees KC condemned Blackwell’s fraudulent activities as “shameful” and ordered her to compensate her victims for the distress caused by her deceitful actions.
Blackwell, a resident of Bridgend, South Wales, pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges related to the wedding scam. Her defense lawyer highlighted her remorse and efforts to make amends, citing personal challenges she faced during her daughter’s illness.
