A professional violinist has been jailed for conning more than £300,000 out of well-wishers by pretending that she had cancer. Bethan Doci, 38, claimed she needed the money for her treatment, but was fit and well and instead funded a lavish lifestyle including holidays abroad, luxury cars and expensive handbags.
Doci, who has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with orchestras around the world, cheated one man out of his life savings, Swansea crown court was told.
Jailing Doci for 32 months, the judge, Keith Thomas, said: “You committed these offences in a callous and heartless manner, saying you were suffering from cancer and needed treatment which you couldn’t afford. You took the money but used it on a lavish lifestyle.”
Thomas said her treatment of a retired chartered accountant, Liam Donnelly, 64, whose wife had died from cancer and who handed over £170,000 to help Doci, was especially harsh. “Your victims were devastated, especially Mr Donnelly, who you treated particularly cruelly by taking all his life savings,” the judge said.
The court heard that Doci had no assets left, having spent all the money, and she was ordered to repay a nominal £1 in compensation. Doci, who used the professional name Bethan Morgan, wept as she was led away.
As well as Donnelly, Doci duped retired businessman Bruce Pilley, 58, out of £168,000, and former Royal Navy officer Neil McKelvie, 56, out £30,000 after advertising her fake illness on the Craigslist website. Doci, who lived in a riverside apartment in Swansea, admitted 11 counts of fraud from 2010-13.
Catherine Richards, prosecuting, said Doci provided those who expressed a desire to help with false doctor’s notes. Richards said: “Her lies and deception became more and more elaborate.”
Paul Spreadborough, defending, said: “She was gaining a professional reputation as a violinist and was a dedicated performer. But she was caught in a classic spiral of lies, debt and deceit. She fell into a pattern and fell deeper and deeper.”
After the case, Supt Kath Pritchard described the investigation as “complex and protracted”. She said: “Thanks to the overwhelming evidence against Bethan Morgan, she pleaded guilty, which is testament to the tenacity and professionalism of our detectives. Bethan Doci/Morgan had a total disregard for her victims, who all trusted her. I hope her victims find some comfort in today’s outcome, which also sends out a clear message to criminals intent on committing fraudulent offences.”
A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “She exploited the trust, emotional vulnerabilities and generosity of … persons whom she met on the internet. Her conduct amounted to a calculated protracted web of deceit to fund her lavish lifestyle and foreign travel. A thorough and lengthy investigation revealed the breadth of her crime and a number of victims.
“We hope her conviction and sentence provide some solace to those who were betrayed and suffered as a result of her crime, and we hope it deters others from committing like offences.”
