Wirral woman admits ticket fraud (From Wirral Globe)

Wirral woman admits ticket fraud

11:29am Monday 25th February 2013 in News

A young woman who conned would be concert-goers into handing over cash for tickets has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that some of Nicola Kempthorne’s victims included former school and college friends and a judge told her “that was a particularly mean and callous thing to do.

“You obtained from your dishonest conduct something of the order of £4,200. You ran this scam for nine months or so,” said Judge Denis Watson, QC.

He told 30-year-old Kempthorne, “I accept you set up the enterprise intending it to be a legitimate way that you could make some money and pay off such financial obligations as you had but you soon realised it was very easy for you to con people out of money by promising them tickets which you just did not have.

“These tickets are expensive, they are tickets which are much in demand and which people would pay a substantial part of their monthly wage to have so that they can attend concerts, festivals and the like.”

He sentenced Kempthorne to three months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months and placed her under supervision for 18 months. She also has to pay back the money she obtained to her victims and she must attend a probation course for 15 days.

Kempthorne, of Trinity Road, Hoylake, pleaded guilty to six fraud offences and had seven similar offences taken into consideration spanning nine months.

Damian Webb, prosecuting, said that Kempthorne set up her business in 2010 advertising on web sites and Facebook offering tickets for concerts and festivals for sale.

He said that one charge involved asking to use her cousin’s credit card to obtain a £947 flight.

He agreed but she never paid him back. The other charges involved taking hundreds of pounds for tickets which she did not send. She has paid some of the £4,250 back but the vast majority is outstanding.

She said that she set up the business to raise money to pay off loan sharks but when she realised the enterprise was not succeeding she continued with it anyway, said Mr Webb.

Chris Williams, defending, said Kempthorne works for a pharmaceutical company and is training to be a manager. They are aware of the court proceedings and the fact she received a conditional discharge last September for a similar offence.

She had voluntarily gone to the police station to be interviewed and was in a position to make compensation payments.