Northumberland fraudster who claimed to own haulage firm scammed elderly woman out of £22,000

A cruel fraudster who claimed to own a haulage company scammed an elderly woman out of her life savings.

John Kavanagh, 58, met a woman on a dating app and shortly after the relationship began he said he had financial problems. Newcastle Crown Court heard the woman gave him £250 and a further £1,200 in 18 separate transactions over seven months.

The court heard Kavanagh told the woman and her 84-year-old mum that he owned a large haulage company ‘Kavanagh QC Transport Limited’ but due to an accident involving a javelin missile he had received a fine and was “struggling to make ends meet”. The woman discussed the issue with her mum who offered to help Kavanagh financially on the understanding the money was paid back.

The woman withdrew £3,000 cash with her mum’s permission in December 2019 when she had £26,000 in her account. The court heard by June 2020 she was left with less than £250.

The court was told Kavanagh provided a range of excuses for the cash, which included new tyres for trucks, staff wages, insurance payments and money to transport a fictional truck on a ferry from Saudi Arabia.

The court heard the relationship between the defendant and woman ended in July 2020 when she told him there was no money left. The defendant was “disgruntled” and distanced himself from the woman and her family.

The woman called the police when she believed Kavanagh, of Abbingdon Square, Cramlington, was a “fantasist” and her mum might not get her money back.

The woman’s mum gave Kavanagh £22,360 and none of the money was repaid, the court heard, while around £3,000 was refunded by the bank due to the fraudulent activity.

The court heard other family members were also suspicious about the “outlandish” stories he told them. Kavanagh registered the fictitious haulage company in March 2020 but it was never operational, the court was told.

His lies were eventually exposed about his company ‘based in Team Valley’, when another company, where he was meant to share a yard, said they’d never heard of the firm, the court heard.

The defendant told police he was struggling to pay the money back but always intended to pay it back.

The court heard that an investigation revealed the defendant had been in contact with other women he’d met on dating websites and told them the same story about owning a haulage company.

Tragically, the woman died in 2022 and her mum died in September last year. The court was told both women had given victim impact statements before their deaths.

A statement read out in court on behalf of the woman said: “This incident has left me physically sick. I can’t explain how I feel inside, I feel very vulnerable and responsible for the money taken from my mother. I worry what effect it will have on her health.

It added: “No-one has the right to impose themselves on my family and take money in such a deceptive manner.”

In a statement read out on behalf of the woman’s mother, it said: “This incident has left me in shock. I can’t believe I have been deceived in this way. Lent money to John in good faith with the expectation of getting the money back, he has left me with nothing.”

The court heard Kavanagh, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, has 32 convictions to 108 offences, with 63 of those relating to dishonesty and fraud.

The court was told Kavanagh was “very sorry” to the victims and their family members and “wishes he could turn the clock back”. On sentencing Kavanagh to four years in prison, Judge Gavin Doig described the defendant as a “thoroughly dishonest man”.

He added: “It is difficult to think of more shameful offending for a person to commit. To strip an 84-year-old woman of her life savings and carry on taking her money over a period of many months until she had no more to give, leaving her feeling vulnerable and scared – yet that is what you did.

“I’m pleased to hear you are now remorseful and sorry for your behaviour. However, you knew what you were doing at the time and carried on doing it.”