A woman with two children tricked her partner into believing she had cancer in order to obtain thousands of pounds for supposed life-saving treatments. Instead of using the money for medical purposes, she spent it on cosmetic surgery and wellness treatments overseas.
Laura McPherson, 35, fabricated multiple cancer diagnoses including cervical, ovarian, colon, bowel, and breast cancer to deceive her partner, Jon Leonard. She even misled her young daughter into thinking her mother was terminally ill. McPherson managed to convince Mr. Leonard, a charitable businessman who had raised £39 million through Ultra Events, to provide nearly £25,000 for treatments he thought could save her life over a five-year period.
Despite receiving a £30,000 Rolex gift from Leonard after falsely claiming to be cancer-free, McPherson did not utilize the funds for medical care as promised. Instead, she indulged in a luxurious lifestyle, opting for breast enhancement surgery and holistic weight loss treatments during trips abroad.
In a recent court session at Derby Crown Court, McPherson was instructed to repay £30,714 by January 5. The funds are expected to come from the sale of a watch, though it was not specified if this included the gifted Rolex. While she avoided imprisonment, McPherson was placed on a two-year community order earlier this year.
Following the court proceedings, Leonard expressed relief, stating, “It’s finally over. Today marks the end of eight and a half challenging years. She never had cancer, and it has now come to light that she has been fabricating cancer claims since her school days, long before we met. She has been revealed as a deceitful, manipulative individual.”
Between March 2017 and January 2022, McPherson received substantial sums from Leonard under the guise of needing financial assistance for cancer treatments. Prosecutor Siward James-Moore highlighted McPherson’s deceit, mentioning how she falsely claimed to undergo chemotherapy for cervical cancer at a hospital and later sought funds for treatments at a clinic in Austria.
Despite McPherson’s initial denial of charges, a subsequent admission of fraud was made after a police investigation in 2022. Leonard, in his victim impact statement, expressed feeling that McPherson had “stolen years” of his life and shattered his trust in humanity.
Defence barrister Laura Pitman noted McPherson’s lack of prior convictions and acknowledged her prolonged deceptive behavior, citing anxiety and depression as contributing factors. Judge Jonathan Straw condemned McPherson’s actions, labeling her a “wicked and devious liar” and issuing a two-year community order as punishment.