Cirencester mother pretended to have cancer to con people into giving her hundreds of pounds

Kathy Gibney, 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was also told to carry out 12 months of community service.

The court heard that Gibney, of Parry Close, had three main victims who she scammed out of hundreds of pounds in total.

In January last year Gibney knocked on the door of Michael Townsend, telling him that she had cancer and needed money to feed her six-year-old son and warm her house, the court heard.

Prosecutor Laura Burgess said that Gibney visited Mr Townsend on four separate occasions and had appeared distressed and was crying.

He gave her £190 in total and she eventually wrote a cheque for him to repay the amount but later cancelled the cheque.

Ms Burgess said: “He did not recognise her. She said she needed money for the electricity meter and seemed desperate. He gave her cash.”

Gibney told Mr Townsend she would pay him the £190 back and wrote him a cheque, but later cancelled it.

Also last January, Gibney knocked on the door of Peter Rowbotham’s house three times, telling him a similar story, and he loaned her £150 in total which she failed to pay back.

She went on to call at the home of Elizabeth Cambray, saying she needed money for electricity.

“She was crying on the doorstep and said she had been a victim of domestic abuse and was being tested for breast cancer and being treated for bowel cancer,” Ms Burgess said.

Ms Cambray has friends and family members who had suffered from cancer, so Gibney’s story struck a chord and she gave her cans of food and £20 in cash, but the con artist then asked for £25.

Gibney returned another time asking Ms Cambray for more money and they agreed to meet elsewhere, but Gibney did not turn up.

Gibney was ordered to pay back the three main victims and others she conned, and the total she has to hand over is £667. She was crying in the dock and said: “I’m so sorry.”