A surrogate mother, who faked pregnancies and then misscarriages in a surrogacy scam, has been jailed for just over three years for fraud.
Louise Pollard admitted to faking pregnancies to make £15,000 from couples desperate to have a baby. The 28 year old had agreed to carry babies for two couples, and pretended to inseminate herself on three separate occasions.
The court heard how Keith and Josephine Barnett were left devastated after hearing they were unable to conceive naturally during their 12 year marriage. Speaking to local media, the couple said how they had researched all options before contacting Pollard who was registered on a surrogacy website.
It was later revealed that the couple grew suspicious when she appeared not to recognise some of the more detailed medical aspects of the whole procedure, but they were “blinded by her enthusiasm and they went on to discuss financial arrangements.”
Pollard said the overall cost of £20,000 would be in instalments as maintenance money to pay her rent and living expenses.
This surprised the couple because, earlier, the figure had always been £12,000 but they agreed both to the higher cost and to home insemination rather than a clinic, as per Pollard’s requests.
It was only after the Barnetts requested a baby scan did Pollard claim to have miscarried the child.
Judge Graham Cottle told Pollard on sentencing:
“It is not a case about financial loss. It is a case of two desperate couples being completely taken in by you and your lies.
"Yes, of course they lost money. But they have lost a great deal more than that, they have ended up heartbroken."
Pollard was also convicted of forging a GP’s letter to another couple claiming she was pregnant on two separate occasions in exchange for surrogacy payments. Pollard also has a seven year old and sevent month old child, both likely to be now adopted.
Judge Graham Cottle labelled her actions "brutal and heartless" as he jailed her this morning at Bristol Crown Court.
Image via Bristol Post
