Woman's vicious £60k revenge on her ex-fiancé after he broke off their wedding

16 January 2024 , 19:15

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Rosemary Lai, 31, who promotes herself on social media as a model (Image: MEN Media)

A "materialistic" woman tried to con her former fiancé out of more than £60,000 after he broke off their wedding, a court has heard.

Rosemary Lai, who promotes herself on social media as a model, has been jailed after she forged letters from bailiffs in a bid to force her ex to hand over a large sum of money. The pair had met on the online dating site Plenty of Fish in 2017 before the unnamed man proposed to Lai the following year, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Mark Pritchard said from the get-go the relationship was very "money focused" for Lai who is "materialistic." The victim said he paid for "everything" when they were together. The money-grabbing model was aware her ex-fiancé had inherited a "sum of money" and a property following the death of his grandmother so she began to plan a very expensive wedding.

The prosecutor said: "The complainant told her that they were beyond his means, and they needed to look for cheaper venues. Eventually the issues involving the wedding came to a head and the complainant broke off the engagement." Following their break-up, in 2019 the man fell victim to a scam in which he paid out £3,000. Lai was not involved in that incident. He was sectioned after his mental health deteriorated and was admitted to the hospital. Lai contacted his father to report she was unable to contact her ex because her phone was broken.

He bought her a new phone, but she never contacted her ex with it. Over the next three years, the victim began to receive letters, claiming to be from bailiffs, relating to payments of £63,488 which he was said to owe. The money, which was said to be related to payments for wedding venues, was demanded over seven different letters. As part of the scam, Lai forged letters which claimed to have been sent from the county court, using fake claim numbers.

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In a statement read to the court on his behalf, Lai's ex said: "Rosemary has made me feel depressed, down and worthless as she always used to say she would replace me with a better bloke. My mental health has deteriorated since we broke up and she was sending me these court letters.

Manchester Crown Court where Rosemary Lai had her trial (MEN Media)

"I paid for everything in the relationship, all the meals and trips out for her because I did love her and I wanted her to have a better life but she has taken advantage of me. We broke up over three years ago now and these letters have been sent since then and I want them to stop. It is making me stressed and upset as I did not know if these were real or fake.

"It's getting me down because it's making my parents' mental health deteriorate as well. My mum has cried so much over these letters. This is also having a massive impact on me and my mental health. I suffer from schizophrenia, and I have autism and these allegations are making them both so much worse."

Lai pleaded guilty to one count of fraud; and three counts of making or supplying articles for use in fraud. She was jailed for two years and three months. Defending, Megan Cox said Lai's behaviour was unsophisticated, as the letters sent to her ex included her name and details. She said Lai, has no previous convictions and worked at a hospital and a Tesco store, as well as raising money for charity.

A probation officer said that Lai had described her ex's statement as "mainly lies" and said that the defendant only had empathy for herself. But Ms Cox said there has since been a "shift" in her view, and she is now "remorseful" and "sorry for her actions." She appealed to the judge to avoid sending Lai to prison, noting the defendant has health problems.

But Judge Peter Horgan ruled the only appropriate punishment was a prison sentence. He said: "He loved you, he had feelings for you. His mental health has deteriorated as a result of you sending him those letters." The judge also imposed a restraining order, prohibiting Lai from contacting her ex for five years.

Andrew Bardsley