Lisa Elliot, a self-proclaimed ‘gold-digger,’ has been sentenced to jail for manipulating a ‘lonely’ divorcee she met on a dating site. The 59-year-old convinced her vulnerable victim, who had MS and relied on a walking frame, to uproot his life from Brighton and move 350 miles to North Tyneside to be with her. Shortly after their February 2017 wedding, the former university lecturer left the man, then in his mid-60s, virtually penniless. Elliot’s controlling behavior even led the recovered alcohol!c back to drinking, and he only discovered the extent of her deception after summoning the strength to leave months later.
Sadly, he passed away in 2021 without witnessing Elliot face justice for the betrayal. His daughter shared in court how her once ‘vivacious, fascinating, generous, and inspiring’ father became increasingly vulnerable due to his medical conditions. She detailed how Elliot exploited this vulnerability, leaving him ‘dehumanized and humiliated, embarrassed and ashamed.’ She emphasized, ‘He was robbed of everything he had at a time he needed it most. He was left with almost nothing—nowhere to stay, zero options, zero finance, zero dignity, and, for the first time ever, significant debt. He was a shell of his former self when he died.’
The court learned that the victim’s family continues to grapple with the haunting impact of the ordeal, describing it as ‘ghosts that haunt us to this day,’ leaving them traumatized.
Lisa Elliot from Willington Quay, North Tyneside, pleaded guilty to eight fra*d charges amounting to £16,716 at Newcastle Crown Court. Judge Robert Spragg sentenced her to two years and three months in jail. He remarked, “You described yourself as an ‘Honest Gold Digger,’ but you stressed when you spoke to him the word ‘honest.’ Of course, you were anything but honest. This took place against a background, accepted by your pleas, of a relationship involving features of controlling and coercive behavior, including preventing him from leaving or moving freely around the house and restricting his access to food. Money was just the tip of the iceberg of the damage you have done. You should be able to trust your partner. This was a particularly vulnerable victim and it had a seriously detrimental effect not only on him but on his family.”
Regrettably, the victim never witnessed your accountability.
‘You were his partner, he was extremely vulnerable. He should have been able to trust you, but instead, you callously defrauded him. We have heard the kind of man he was, and he deserved better.’
Prosecutor Jess Butterell informed the court that, during the relationship, the man’s family became so alarmed about his treatment that they contacted the police. Despite knowing she was under suspicion, Elliot, enlisted the help of a male friend to activate two of the victim’s credit cards by impersonating him over the phone. By then, she had used her unsuspecting husband’s identity to purchase gold coins, bought treats for herself from Amazon and Marks and Spencer’s using his credit and debit cards, and transferred thousands of pounds into her own bank account from his.
The court learned that Elliot was formerly a civil servant before becoming self-employed teaching university students. She went on long-term sick leave after the death of her husband and has no previous convictions. Sam Faulks, defending, mentioned that Elliot struggles with mental health problems.