John Kavanagh, a 58-year-old man from Cramlington, Northumberland, has been sentenced to four years in prison after swindling an 84-year-old woman out of her life savings, totaling £22,000. Kavanagh, who had a lengthy criminal record with over 100 offences, met the victim’s daughter online, later exploiting both women with fabricated stories.
Kavanagh convinced the elderly woman and her daughter that he needed money to keep his fictional transport company afloat. He lied about needing funds for various reasons, including new tyres, wages, and insurance. For months, he manipulated both women into lending him large sums of money. By June 2020, the woman had just £250 left in her account, down from £26,000 when Kavanagh had first made contact.
The relationship between Kavanagh and the daughter ended in 2020, but he continued his deceit, even setting up a fake business called Kavanagh KC Transport Ltd. Authorities later discovered that he had targeted multiple other women online with similar false stories.
During the court proceedings, the victim’s daughter expressed her emotional devastation, stating that the incident had deeply affected her mother’s health. The elderly victim, who passed away before seeing justice, described being “shocked” by Kavanagh’s actions, emphasizing how vulnerable she felt.
Kavanagh was found guilty of fraud and, despite initially denying the charges, he later pleaded guilty. In his defense, Kavanagh expressed regret for his actions, stating he wished he could undo the harm he had caused, but acknowledged his inability to repay the stolen money.
Court’s Judgment: Judge Gavin Doig sentenced Kavanagh, describing his actions as “difficult to think of a more shameful offence.” The judge expressed regret that both the victim and her daughter were unable to witness Kavanagh’s sentencing.
