A woman who pretended to lead a glamourous showbiz lifestyle to scam cash out of relatives lied to a sheriff about paying them back.
Heather Dunlop and her Beauly mum Ann were last year convicted of defrauding loved ones out of £35,000.
They had falsely claimed Heather was an aspiring Hollywood actress who rubbed shoulders with A-list celebrities such as Beyoncé.
And when a sheriff warned the 40-year-old she could face jail unless she paid her victims back, Heather claimed to have £14,200.
However, today it emerged that was a lie too, and now Heather and Ann are waiting to discover if they will be jailed.
Mingling with A-list celebrities including Leonardo Di Caprio
Heather previously told loved ones she had signed million-pound contracts as a Hollywood actress.
Ann, 69, convinced her brother David Bunton, 52, to hand Heather cash to help her make the breakthrough,
All the while, Heather told people she was mingling with A-listers such as Leonardo Di Caprio and that US entertainment executive Irving Azoff was her manager.
But the whole story was a scam.
Heather’s auntie Jean and her uncle Steve Allen were also induced with the string of lies.
Steve believed Heather and Ann had “Champagne on tap” at the plush London home they shared.
So convinced was he of her success, Steve paid Heather and Ann’s gas and council tax bills.
Lying pair were ‘like the Waltons’ but ended up ‘like the Dingles’
The pair told him they had temporary money problems that would go away once Heather’s contract cash rolled in.
But the scam unravelled after a while as the relatives could not find any proof of Heather’s so-called showbiz success.
Steve said that Heather’s acting fame was such a well-kept secret that it would be easier for someone to find the nuclear codes than any evidence of it.
He said the family were “like the Waltons” but ended up “like the Dingles”.
Eventually, the fraud scheme came crashing down and the police became involved.
The matter then went to court.
Ann – originally from Beauly but now living in Margate, Kent – was convicted in August 2023 of defrauding her family out of a total of £35,368 at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Heather, also of Margate, pled guilty to a similar charge.
The pair appeared in court again last month when Sheriff Vincent Lunny warned them they faced potential jail time.
‘Promises that £14,200 was available to be paid is not the case’
He told the pair that because they had taken £35,000 the law allowed them to be jailed for their crimes.
But if they were to repay £15,000 of it, the sheriff could consider alternatives to prison.
Heather had previously claimed that she had £14,200 in a bank account, which she would send to her victims.
Sheriff Lunny gave her two weeks to transfer the cash and the matter was followed up in court today.
However, it turned out that, while the two women had paid £500 back, the £14,200 was another fantasy.
Ann’s lawyer Ross Jenkins told the court: “Regrettably, I find myself in a position which I can do longer act for her.
“Promises were made on a previous occasion in this case that £14,200 was available to be paid. That is not the case.
“That money has not been paid prior to this date calling.”
‘You lied to me … there are consequences for lying’
Sheriff Lunny said: “I have no faith that this money exists and ever existed and is another one of the Dunlops’ fantasies. There is no money.”
The sheriff turned to Heather and said: “You told me that you had it.”
Heather replied: “Yes, I did.”
Sheriff Lunny asked: “This was a lie?”
Heather answered: “Yes.”
Sheriff Lunny then said: “You lied to me and the court. That is not acceptable and there are consequences for lying.”
Glasgow Sheriff Court adjourned sentencing so social workers can write background reports before another hearing later this month.
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