Serial fraudster jailed for 10 years after taking more than £218,000 from victims

Fintan Starkey
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:23:46 +0000

A serial fraudster who repeatedly exploited victims through elaborate deception has been jailed for 10 years.

Simon John Turner, aged 49, appeared at Reading Crown Court on April 22, where he was sentenced for fraud offences spanning several years.

The 49-year-old admitted to three counts of fraud by false representation alongside theft committed during a relationship.

His criminal activity encompassed property scams carried out in Weymouth between 2018 and 2019, romance fraud perpetrated from 2024 to 2025, and additional offences in the Swindon and Reading areas.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Victims collectively lost more than £218,000 to Turner's schemes.

Turner's first victims fell prey to his schemes while he resided at a caravan park in Weymouth, Dorset.

During 2018, he struck up a friendship with a solitary man in his 60s who also lived at the site.

When redevelopment works required residents to acquire new caravans in 2019, Turner claimed he had arranged a discounted deal for two units at £60,000.

The victim transferred £53,046 to Turner before discovering that no payments had ever reached the site owner, leaving him without a home.

Turner further exploited this trust by proposing to invest the victim's funds in a mortgage, extracting an additional £61,025 that was never invested nor returned.

In March 2019, Turner encountered another pair of prospective buyers seeking a caravan in Weymouth.

He falsely informed them units were exclusively available to existing residents but offered to facilitate a purchase on their behalf.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Home Office confirms plans to deport Brighton beach rapists after sentencing

Man admits racially aggravated assault after accusing Jewish man of ‘killing babies’ in ‘pure hate crime’

Man jailed for life over religiously aggravated rape and assault of Sikh woman

The couple handed over £76,239 in instalments, believing they were paying for a caravan along with decking and security lighting.

Growing suspicious at the prolonged delays, one victim contacted the caravan park directly and learned from the owner that all invoices Turner had provided were fraudulent.

Detective Constable Mark Walsh of Dorset Police said: "Turner's deception has had a long-lasting impact on all of the victims affected."

Turner's manipulation continued into 2024 when he targeted a woman from Amesbury, Wiltshire, whom he encountered through a dating website.

The relationship progressed with holiday bookings that Turner consistently cancelled using various pretexts, whilst extracting £28,640 from his victim.

In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court: "I was lonely and vulnerable" and "he told me what I wanted to hear."

She added: "He stole mine and my son's financial security, I don't trust anyone now. I feel hurt, isolated, embarrassed, angry and judged. My kindness was used against me."

Crime Investigator Sophie Vowles described Turner's conduct as "manipulative" and noted: "Romance fraud is a callous crime that leaves deep emotional and financial scars."