A WOMAN heartlessly conned her best pal out of £117,000 by pretending a mutual friend needed expensive experimental treatment in America.

Anna Bonner knew that Susan Hughes was infatuated with a former bouncer they had met in a local nightclub and hit on a plan to extract money from her.

Bonner even faked cards and messages from the man, known as Ste, in response to the weekly letters her unsuspecting friend posted off to him in Maryland.

She kept expensive gifts, such as iPads and iPhones that Ms Hughes bought for Bonner to give him but ”callously” threw away personalised sentimental items which were of no use to her.

A judge told the mum-of-three was today (Thur), “This was a mean and nasty offence committed by a cruel, devious and manipulative woman who sought not only to harm your friend but to destroy her emotionally by cruelly misleading her by deceiving her that she may have a future with Ste.”

Judge Louise Brandon jailed her for 28 months and imposed a restraining order for 15 years to keep away from her victim.

She pointed out that even Bonner herself admitted in her pre-sentence report that she had put her friend “through hell.”

But the defendant, who obtained a total of £117,239 in 106 transactions in just under five years, has not repaid any of the money and has left her victim in considerable debt.

“She has been left with tens of thousands worth of debts having taken out bank loans and pay day loans. Her credit rating has been destroyed,” said Judge Brandon.

Ms Hughes met Bonner while they were both working as care assistants at a residential home in Heswall, Wirral, and became best friends.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the victim was her chief bridesmaid at her wedding and helped her with her children and as well as holidaying together they even lived together for a time.

Judge Brandon told Bonner, “What you did threw her into depression, she cannot now work as a mental health nurse, a job she loved, because of the impact and she is on medication.

“She now wonders whether the entire 25 years of your friendship was a lie. She inevitably struggles to trust others.”

The judge said, “She supported you and your children in your darkest hours You deliberately abused her generosity and went on to manipulate her emotionally and financially.”

40-year-old Bonner, of Seaview Road, Liscard, Wallasey, had pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation between April 7 2015 and February 5, 2020.

Judge Brandon pointed out that she “had failed to explain her motivation, had sought to minimise her actions and not paid one penny of this money back.”

Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting, had told the court that the two women met in 1999 and became close friends. Ms Hughes helped her with her children and one year even bought Christmas presents for her children as she knew the defendant was struggling financially.

“It is the prosecution case that the defendant knew Susan Hughes very well, she deliberately abused her generous nature and emotionally manipulated her to extract money.”

In the mid 200s while in RJ’s nightclub in New Brighton Ms Hughes pointed out a bouncer that she fancies and Bonner claimed he was her uncle. After the club closed down in 2010 she did not see him again but the next year a man claiming to be him told her how much he wanted a particular video camera.

She bought it for him but now believes Bonner gave it to her niece. In 2015 Bonner told her he was in prison and being taunted over his clothing and Miss Hughes gave her money for clothing for him.

“The defendant went on to tell Ms Hughes that Ste was diagnosed with testicular cancer whilst in custody; that he attempted suicide which resulted in a brain injury; that he was admitted to hospital and in a life-threatening coma. 

“She claimed the cancer treatment in the UK did not work; that she had found a novel treatment in Maryland, USA, but that he needed financial assistance in order to receive the treatment and live in America.”

She agreed to help and she paid over varying amounts each month into the defendant’s bank account, initially in smallish amounts but quickly increased to between £1,000 - £3,000 a month.

Bonner gave various explanations for the increase in the amount needed, including that he needed money for rental of accommodation attached to the hospital in Maryland and she asked that the money was paid over in cash, said Miss Atherton.

Ms Hughes wrote letters to him but the court heard that Bonner’s ex -husband later found some of them along with text messages apparently from Ste to via Bonner’s phone.

“The defendant deliberately misled Ms Hughes into thinking that she was communicating with Ste and providing money for his medical rehabilitation when in fact the defendant was the one taking the money herself. 

“The defendant used pressure techniques, applying deadlines to the payment of funds and used emotional pressure to suggest Ms Hughes may have a future with Ste if she paid over the money.”

When interviewed by police Bonner falsely claimed the victim owed her money. 

“She said that she knew that the complainant was infatuated with Ste and had heard that he was ill so she decided to use that illness as a way to get money from Ms Hughes, falsely claiming that she was also contributing half to Ste Lucas’s treatment. 

“It appears from a review of the defendant’s bank statements that in fact she used the money to facilitate her own lifestyle.”

Trevor Parry-Jones, defending, said that Bonner, who has no previous convictions for a caution for fraud, “Is shamed and appalled by what she has done.”

He said she is carer for 15-year-old son who has complex needs and also her father has had five strokes. She has a daughter and one-year-old child with her new partner, who while he disapproves of her behaviour, is giving up his employment to look after the children in her absence.

He said it was “bizarre” that she became involved in the fraud, the money had not gone on a lavish lifestyle and she has no money.