A woman has been jailed for seven years and seven months after deceiving multiple men out of tens of thousands of pounds over a four year period.
Gemma Kingsley, of Beadnell in Northumberland, falsely claimed she was due to receive a multi-million-pound inheritance to manipulate men into funding her lifestyle, leaving a trail of victims faced with sizeable debts.
The 50-year-old used forged professional letters as evidence of her pending inheritance. One victim spent tens of thousands of pounds on furniture, dental bills and wedding costs believing he would be reimbursed. Kingsley also repeatedly used victims’ bank cards without permission and opened a betting account in one victim’s name, losing substantial sums through gambling.
Another victim paid large deposits for a Land Rover and Porsche and funded expensive hotel stays before also falling victim to unauthorised card use. Legal firms and a bank were also defrauded through falsified documents.
In February, Kingsley pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using a false instrument, and one count of possessing an article for use in fraud in the face of “overwhelming” evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Andrew Eddy, commenting on behalf of the CPS, said:
“Gemma Kingsley’s offending was calculated, persistent and financially and emotionally devastating for the men she targeted. She deliberately built trust, fabricated documents, and manipulated her victims into handing over large sums of money, all to maintain a lifestyle she could not legitimately afford.
“The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with Wiltshire Police to present clear and compelling evidence of her sustained dishonesty, leading to her guilty pleas. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of her actions and demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting offenders who exploit others for personal gain.”
