Woman Convicted of Deceiving Ex-Partner About Having Children
High Court judge describes the elaborate deceit as 'extraordinary' as man reportedly paid £30,000.
A woman has been found to have deceived her former partner into believing she had given birth to two children who likely did not exist, according to a High Court judge.
The man, identified only as John, initiated proceedings in the Family Court after being informed that the woman, referred to as Jane, had allegedly sold their two children for a combined £500. Over two years, the man reportedly paid the woman approximately £30,000 based on her claims.
During a hearing in February, the woman admitted to lying about the pregnancies as a form of revenge, alleging that the man had been abusive. The court heard that the man believed he was the father after being told of a pregnancy in late 2022, shown an ultrasound image, and witnessing what he perceived as a visible pregnancy.
Shortly before the first expected birth in May 2023, the woman reported an assault by the man, leading to his arrest and several months of remand, according to the ruling published on Friday by Mrs Justice Judd.
Following the man's detention, the woman allegedly sent messages to his stepfather announcing the birth and sharing baby photos. Voice notes, purportedly containing the sound of a crying baby, were also sent to the man's mother. The woman later claimed to be pregnant again, with a due date in August 2024. The couple separated before this second due date.
In her judgment, Mrs Justice Judd noted that the woman admitted to lying about the pregnancies and that no children existed. She stated that factors strongly indicated the children did not exist, outweighing any evidence to the contrary. The judge described the man as the victim of a "sustained and elaborate campaign of deceit" that also affected his mother and closest friend.
"Added to this, the behaviour was cruel, leading a man and his mother to believe they had children and grandchildren respectively," the Judge stated. The judge concluded that while she could not determine the woman's exact motive, financial fraud was a possibility. The woman's "complex mental health problems" may have also been a contributing factor.