A woman has been sentenced after deceiving her ex-partner that he was the father of her unborn child for financial gain.
Beth Fernley from Wroxham Road, Warrington, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing. She was given 13 months in prison suspended for 18 months, at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday.
She must complete up to 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days as well as 200 hours of unpaid work. She also has to pay £300 the victim in compensation.
The two had previously been in a relationship, but it ended in January 2019 after he became suspicious that she was being unfaithful.
In March 2019, the 26-year-old woman reached out to him, claiming she was pregnant and that another man was the father. However, the following month, she contacted him again, saying she had miscalculated the dates and that he was actually the father.
He requested a paternity test, which she agreed to arrange at a cost of £300. Despite this, the test was never conducted. Instead, she forged documents indicating that he was 99.9% likely to be the child’s biological father.
They rekindled their relationship and he put a deposit on a house for them to live together as a family. He paid the bills and the mortgage which Fernley did not contribute to.
She put his name on the birth certificate and they continued to live as a family until April 2022 when Fernley produced another fake document saying that there was a lab error and he wasn’t the father.
The victim became suspicious and arranged for another paternity test which confirmed he wasn’t the father. Another test was done which proved the other man was the father.
DC Josh Darby said: “This isn’t just about money, the deceit had real and devastating emotional consequences which are enduring for both the victim and his family.
“For two years the joy, love and bond of a loving father and grandmother was so strong that the impact of the deceit and betrayal was truly profound.
“To go to these lengths for financial gain is cruel and calculating. It has left a family grieving and trying to pick up the pieces, while enduring deep sorrow that what they thought was a joyful reality was in fact a wicked lie.”
