Woman deceived ex-partner that she had given birth to his babies, judge rules
The man paid his ex-partner around £30,000 over two years believing she had given birth to his children.
A woman named Jane duped her ex-partner, referred to as John, into believing she had given birth to two children, a High Court judge ruled in an extraordinary and elaborate case of deceit. John, who has not been named, sought help from the Family Court after the woman told him she had sold their two offspring for a total of £500.
Over two years, John received messages and photos of the children and paid her around £30,000. However, in February, Jane admitted in court that she had lied about the pregnancies, claiming it was revenge against John, who she alleged had abused her. The court heard that John believed he was the children's father because his current partner told him she was pregnant, shared ultrasound images, and visibly became pregnant.
In May 2023, just before the first baby's due date, Jane called the police, alleging she had been assaulted. She then sent a message to John's stepfather, claiming the baby was born and shared baby photos. At one point, she sent voice notes to John's mother in the middle of the night, with the sound of a baby crying in the background.
Later, she told John she was pregnant again, with the due date set for August 2024. Before the due date, the couple broke up and never reconciled. Jane later admitted to the court that she had told John she was pregnant during their relationship and multiple times afterward, even though no children existed. She argued that she was menopausal and could not have been pregnant, and that her bank statements showed she had gone to a tanning shop on the day she claimed to have given birth.
The judge concluded that the factors pointing against the children's existence were very strong, outweighing the factors in the children's favor. The judge found Jane's behavior cruel, as it led John and his mother to believe they had children and grandchildren. She could not determine Jane's motive, but suggested financial fraud and complex mental health issues may have played a role.
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