A ‘shameless’ mother-of-three who claimed she had terminal cancer and shaved off her hair to defraud her insurer out of over £130,000 has been spared jail.
Gemma Goodwin (38), forged documents that claimed she had cervical, breast and lung cancer.
Her last year was up, so a friend created an online fundraising page called “Gemma’s Treatment in America”.
It stated: “Gemma has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and stage two breast cancer.
We initially intended to maximize the time that she was able to leave America for treatment, but Gemma decided after much thought and multiple calls from consultants to continue fighting for her precious time with her children.
The treatment may give her three more years. While the NHS will cover the actual treatment, it is necessary to raise enough money for this to happen. This amount is to cover insurance and accommodation. We ask that you share our page and make a donation to Gemma. Every little helps get Gemma the medical treatment she so desperately needs. Gemma is so grateful to all who have shared and donated to our page.
The fundraising page raised £2,000 which she withdrew and blew on a holiday with her kids, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Gemma Goodwin (pictured below), 38, faked medical records claiming she had cervical, lung, and breast cancer. Her claim that she had only one year left was false. A friend created an online fundraising page called “Gemma’s treatment for America”.
Goodwin took out a life insurance policy which included a terminal illness benefit in 2015 worth £130,000.
This meant that the holder would be compensated if he or she was diagnosed with a condition with a shorter life expectancy than 12 months.
Goodwin wrote to her insurance company three years later to tell them she’d been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
Also, she wrote a request to know how she could file a claim to provide support for her children and funeral arrangements.
Goodwin called the insurance company two more months later to inform them that she had decided not to pursue the claim.
She then stated that she would like to name a beneficiary who will manage her claim in the event of her death. So she nominated a colleague from work.
Goodwin provided the necessary forms to her insurance company, along with a letter from the local hospital that confirmed her diagnosis.
Goodwin was then able to request details from her NHS medical history, prompting her insurer to cancel her claim.
Goodwin, five months after discovering that her records had not been authenticated by the insurance company, contacted them in January 2019 to say she still had two to three months to live.
Goodwin tried repeatedly to modify the policy, but the company wrote back in late 2019, stating that the police were cancelled because of evidence suggesting it was fraudulent.
The nominated beneficiary was interviewed by a detective from the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) and explained she had met Goodwin in 2012 through work.
They were friends, and Goodwin was a constant lie to Goodwin’s friend over her health. Goodwin said that she had lupus, and she also suffered from various types of cancer.
The fundraising page raised £2,000 which Goodwin withdrew and blew on a holiday with her kids, Woolwich Crown Court heard
A friend shared that Goodwin even had her hair shaved and suggested she travel to the USA to get treatment.
Detectives discovered an online fundraising page had been set up by another acquaintance of Goodwin and raised £2,033.
Goodwin of Brent Way Dartford in Kent took the money and went on vacation with her children.
She admitted fraud and was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years with a six-month electronically-tagged curfew at Woolwich Crown Court.
Two years ago at Maidstone Crown Court the mum of three was spared jail after claiming she was dying of cancer to con £19,000 in benefits.
Kim Negus Detective Constable from IFED stated that Goodwin was a dishonest and shameless person who exploited a terrible illness to gain personal financial gains.
‘What’s worse is that this is not the first time she has attempted to cheat the system, having previously been convicted for fraudulently claiming housing and long-term illness benefits.
“Goodwin is clearly not remorseful for her fraud, but she must know that it will all be revealed in the end.”