Woman exposed for faking TWO births to rob 'father' of £30,000 in child support

The man, referred to as John, was led to believe he had fathered two children, neither of whom ever existed. The judge described the conduct as "cruel, leading a man and his mother to believe they had children and grandchildren respectively." Jane's possible motivations included both revenge and financial fraud, the court heard.

The pair first met during the Covid pandemic and began a relationship despite a significant age gap — John was in his early 30s, while Jane was in her 50s.

Towards the end of 2022, Jane informed John that she was expecting a baby, and he later recalled that she appeared "visibly pregnant" as the months progressed. He described her stomach as feeling hard, consistent with what he understood a pregnant belly to be like.

When the baby was supposedly due in May 2023, the couple had a row and Jane contacted police alleging assault. John was arrested and held on remand for several months. While he was in custody, Jane messaged his stepfather to announce the birth and sent John photographs of a baby along with regular updates about the child.

Upon his release from prison, John reunited with Jane, but she insisted the baby was living with a relative. She claimed social workers had ruled that he was not permitted to have contact with the child, though she continued showing him numerous photographs.

The deception involved multiple layers of fabricated evidence. Jane had sent John an ultrasound image during the supposed first pregnancy, and his mother received a voice message featuring what sounded like a baby crying — which Jane later admitted had been produced by playing a YouTube clip in the background.

John kept sending money to support what he believed were his two children

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Perhaps most tellingly, bank records examined by the court revealed that on the very day Jane claimed to have given birth, she had in fact visited a tanning salon. Jane maintained in court that she had simply always been a large woman with a big stomach.

Jane subsequently told John she was pregnant for a second time, with the baby expected in August 2024. However, the couple argued and separated shortly before the purported due date, and they did not get back together.

John's mother encountered Jane, who still appeared visibly pregnant, and later received a message from her confirming the second baby had arrived.

Even after the relationship ended, John kept sending money to support what he believed were his two children, with the total reaching around £30,000. Jane continued providing photographs and updates to him and his family throughout this period.

She also reportedly told John she had sold both children for £500.

Growing increasingly alarmed about the children's welfare, John applied to the court in October 2024 seeking to establish their whereabouts and obtain parental responsibility — a step that would ultimately expose the entire fabrication.

In response to John's application, Jane sought a non-molestation order against him, alleging verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Her solicitor told the court she had no children with John, while Jane herself claimed she had suffered two miscarriages.

The court, however, established that Jane was in her 50s and menopausal, meaning she would have been physically incapable of conceiving. No records of any births could be found with either the local authority or the police, and nothing on Jane's phone corroborated her account.

Mrs Justice Judd acknowledged that the case presented two "extremely unlikely" and "bizarre scenarios," but concluded it was most probable that Jane had "engaged in a campaign of deception lasting for about three years in order to make the applicant believe that he was going to be, then was, the father of children."

The fabrication may have been driven by a desire for revenge over alleged abuse, but fraud also appeared a likely motive given the substantial sums received.