A woman named Holly Griffin has been fined for defrauding her grieving neighbor, Paul Kelly, out of £672.50 by selling him non-existent Glastonbury Festival tickets.
Mr. Kelly, who lost his wife in 2021, hoped attending the festival would help him socialise and move forward. He paid Griffin for three tickets and additionally spent hundreds on festival preparations, including a camping pitch, refreshments, and new clothing. Unbeknownst to him, Griffin was aware months before the 2023 festival that the tickets were unavailable but continued to deceive him, even sending ‘flirtatious’ messages to maintain the facade.
Holly pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court. The court fined her £200 and ordered her to pay £750 in compensation to Mr. Kelly. District Judge Timothy Pattinson highlighted the breach of trust and emotional distress caused, noting Griffin’s remorse and her admission of “sticking her head in the sand” to avoid conflict.
Kelly realized the Glastonbury tickets were fake on the eve of 2023. Reflecting on the experience in his victim impact statement, he said: “I lost my wife in 2021, I had been struggling to get myself out of the house. [Since the fake tickets] I have struggled to trust anyone, I feel ashamed and an idiot.”
Prosecuter Kerry Richardson, explained in court: “In Griffin’s own account she said she knew those tickets were not available from February 2023 but it is the Crown’s case she advertised them fraudulently from the start. She continued to contact Mr Kelly right up until the day of the festival. As a result he was at a loss of £627.50. In relation to the emotional upset, Griffin knew his wife had died previously and continued to contact him as if they were in a relationship.”
Griffin admitted to the court that she had “stuck her head in the sand” in an attempt to avoid conflict with her neighbor. She stated: “As soon as I found out I could not come up with the tickets I should have told Mr Kelly,” she said. “I would have told Mr Kelly back in February but I could not deal with any more conflict.”
Glastonbury ‘s 2023 line-up boasted some huge stars, including Lewis Capaldi, who has cancelled all gigs until the festival. The Scottish singer told fans it was a “difficult” decision, but he wouldn’t be performing anywhere in an effort to “rest and recover” for Glastonbury.
He joined Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses at the festival – which kicked off on June 21 – after they were announced as Glastonbury’s final two headliners, joining Sir Elton John at the top of the bill.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens performed during the tea time legends slot on Sunday afternoon, despite Roxy Music being heavily rumoured.
The veteran folk-rocker, best known for a string of albums in the 1970s, followed in the footsteps of artists such as Dolly Parton, Kylie Minogue and Diana Ross.
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