A woman with two children who fabricated her child’s terminal illness to deceive a charity into giving her £4,000 is facing legal action again for a fraudulent wedding scheme.
Charlotte Blackwell, 31, a real estate agent, orchestrated a fake wedding abroad to swindle money from her family and friends, which she used to settle her online bingo debts. Following a five-year relationship, she falsely claimed to be engaged to Daniel Thomas. Blackwell recently received a fine for evading her community service penalty.
Known for her history of deceit, Blackwell narrowly avoided imprisonment in August for a previous scam involving a children’s cancer charity, Morgan’s Army, where she attempted to obtain £4,000 under false pretenses. Exploiting the charity shortly after the tragic death of Morgan Ridler in June 2023, Blackwell managed to secure funds by deceitfully alleging her daughter required treatment in Germany, despite the child being cancer-free.
The charity’s founder, Natalie Ridler, disclosed that Blackwell exploited a past connection to the charity through her child’s cancer treatment at Noah’s Ark Hospital to deceive them. Natalie expressed dismay at Blackwell’s manipulation during a vulnerable period for the organization.
In her deceptive wedding ploy, Blackwell convinced her relatives to contribute money for a destination wedding. Fabricating flight tickets and hotel reservations, she duped unsuspecting guests into providing £12,682. Consequently, Blackwell received a suspended sentence, 120 hours of unpaid work, and a rehabilitation mandate.
However, recent reports from Cardiff Crown Court highlight Blackwell’s non-compliance with her community service obligations, attending only 21 out of 34 appointments and violating two conditions. She failed to complete 55 hours and 25 minutes of her assigned unpaid work, resulting in a £50 fine and a directive to fulfill the outstanding hours.
Judge Eugene Egan admonished Blackwell, urging her to fulfill her obligations and avoid further legal repercussions. Blackwell’s victims of the wedding scam included her future mother-in-law, Paula Thomas, and family friends Helen Morse, Sue Chapman, and Tracey Roberts.
During her previous sentencing, Blackwell admitted to the police her fraudulent actions, attributing them to financial difficulties and gambling. She expressed regret and has taken steps to address her gambling addiction. Blackwell, a mother of two, works full-time as an estate agent and receives Universal Credit.
Judge Jonathan Rees KC condemned Blackwell’s deceptive practices as “shameful” and “fiction.” He mandated compensation payments of £3,500 to each of the main victims and £3,250 to another to acknowledge the distress caused by Blackwell’s actions.