A woman has admitted teaming up with her mother to con her family by pretending to be a Hollywood actress.
Heather Dunlop, 39, claimed to her loved ones that she had signed million-pound contracts with some of the biggest names in showbiz.
She and mum Ann Dunlop, 68, convinced her uncle David Bunton, 51, to hand Heather cash to help her make the breakthrough,
A court heard Heather was mingling with A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyonce as well as being managed by legendary US entertainment executive Irving Azoff.
Heather’s aunt Jean and her uncle Steve were also induced with the string of lies.
Relatives paid for council tax
Steve believed Heather and Ann had “champagne on tap” at the plush London home they shared.
He stated that the family were “like the Waltons” but ended up “like the Dingles.”
Steve stated Heather’s acting career was a “best-kept secret” and compared it to the nuclear codes at Faslane.
Steve and Jean went on to pay Heather and Ann’s gas as well as council tax bills due to their money problems.
Ann was found guilty at a trial in August to defrauding her family out of £35,368 at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
She was ordered to be of good behaviour for 12 months and told to pay all of the cash back.
Ann was in the public gallery as Heather, now of Kent, pled guilty to a similar charge and was due to be sentenced today.
Sheriff Vincent Lunny told Heather, who is representing herself at court, that custody is an option.
He said: “One thing that might desist me in sending you to jail is serious efforts to pay this money back.”
Heather replied: “I have put away what I can to pay my aunt [Jean] completely now.
“I can pay part of what’s owed to my Uncle David.
“I have not made contact with them.”
The sheriff stated that he is restricted in his powers to impose up to £10,000 in a compensation order.
Heather said: “I can pay them £12,000, I have two senior roles…by January next year I could pay them completely back.”
The sheriff continued the case for four weeks for a background report to be carried out as well for an agreed narrative of Heather’s circumstances to be heard.
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