A woman who posed as a wealthy model and promised a multi-million-pound inheritance has admitted conning a string of men out of more than £100,000, using romance, forged documents and emotional manipulation to fund an extravagant lifestyle.Gemma Kingsley, 50, from Beadnell in Northumberland, pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court to a catalogue of theft and fraud offences after investigators uncovered what police described as a long-running pattern of deception that spanned several relationships. The case was brought following an investigation led by Wiltshire Police, drawing together complaints from multiple forces.Court documents show Kingsley was in a relationship with one man between 2016 and 2018, during which she repeatedly claimed she was about to inherit £42 million from her grandfather. To bolster the story, she produced forged letters and told him a solicitor had confirmed she would soon receive £16 million from a “total inheritance fund”.Believing the money was imminent, the man spent tens of thousands of pounds on Kingsley’s behalf, including furniture for a new home, dental bills, her personal debts and payments linked to a wedding that never took place. He also allowed her access to his bank cards, which she used to withdraw money without permission. Kingsley later opened a betting account in his name, deposited large sums of his money into it and lost the funds gambling.By the time the relationship ended, the victim had “lost in excess of £100,000”, according to the court papers.The following year, Kingsley began a relationship with another man, again falsely claiming she was on the verge of inheriting a vast fortune. On that basis, he helped fund significant deposits for a Land Rover and a Porsche, as well as luxury hotel stays the couple could not afford. He too was left with substantial debt after Kingsley repeatedly used his bank cards.Investigators also uncovered two further short relationships in autumn 2019, during which Kingsley used victims’ personal and company bank cards to make purchases without their knowledge. Beyond her romantic partners, police found evidence she had committed theft and fraud against other victims, including a solicitor’s firm and a bank, by falsifying documents and letters.Wiltshire Police said the case came to light in 2019 after the force received a report that Kingsley had fraudulently used the bank details of her mother’s friend to pay for a stay at Cromhall Farm near Chippenham. As enquiries progressed, several other investigations into Kingsley from different police forces were transferred to Wiltshire.At Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday, Kingsley pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using a false instrument with intent that it be accepted as genuine, and one count of possessing an article for use in fraud.Detective Constable Melissa Pope, from Wiltshire Police’s fraud team, said Kingsley’s offending had caused deep and lasting harm. “Kingsley wove a web of lies with her victims, causing significant emotional anxiety and long-term mental and financial harm,” she said.“She manipulated their emotions, assuring them that through her future inheritance she would be able to repay the considerable sums of money that they were spending on her behalf.”DC Pope said the impact went beyond financial loss. “For one of the victims, an expensive wedding which had been planned, for which the victim’s relatives had booked to come from Australia, was cancelled at short notice,” she said.She added that Kingsley continued to obstruct the case even after police became involved. “Following the launch of our investigation, Kingsley delayed the court process, denying what she had done until the final moment before a trial would be arranged.“She lied continuously through the investigation, giving false statements and communicating various health issues as to why she shouldn’t face charges.”DC Pope said she hoped the guilty pleas would allow victims to begin recovering. “I’m pleased she has finally admitted the romance fraud charges against her, as well as a number of other fraud and theft offences relating to other victims. I hope that her victims can now start to move on from this traumatic experience.“It is a huge breach of trust and self-esteem, which can take years to recover from.”Kingsley was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on March 25. Go to Source
