Avon and Somerset PoliceA fraudster who claimed to be a special forces soldier-turned multimillionaire cancer patient has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Joseph Gibson, 35, took almost £68,000 from his four victims, two of whom he had met on dating app Tinder, and convinced one they were in a relationship.
Gibson, from Penbryn Nant, in Ruthin, Denbighshire, lied that he had been worth hundreds of millions of pounds, had served in the Special Boat Service, and owned yachts.
He was sentenced to three years and two months at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, after pleading guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation.
The court heard one victim was persuaded to send Gibson money for business opportunities, hospital expenses and online trading.
She lost more than £5,600 and said she had suffered “anxiety and emotional distress”.
Another, known as SC, handed over more than £30,000 when Gibson claimed he could make substantial returns through investments and trading.
She lost £21,000 after getting only about £9,700 back and said she had been left “heavily in debt”.
Another, JH, invested on the back of Gibson’s claims he was a successful businessman.
She gave him £28,000 and got £10,000 back and said it had affected her relationships with her children.
The fourth victim, a retired super yacht captain known as PH, invested £23,350 and said he had suffered “severe” emotional impact.
In text messages released after the case, Gibson claimed he had homes in Sandbanks, Bath, Dubai, Singapore and Mayfair in London, as well as 21 rental properties.
He wrote: “Mate I have everything I want, I have amazing houses, cars, boats, helicopters.”
Gibson also said he had made £1.1m through financial trading, adding: “I am trading a five million account on my phone from a hospital bed.”
In one exchange, he asked a victim about their preference for clothing and shoe brands.
After being asked the spending limit, Gibson replied: “In January I was valued at 440m if you need me.”
Gibson’s barrister had asked Judge Jaron Crooknorth to defer sentencing, saying it would give him time to earn money with which to repay the victims.
But the prosecution raised concerns over his finances and his credibility, saying there had been hundreds of thousands of pounds going through his accounts, but it had been spent on cars and overseas travel.
Crooknorth told Gibson his offending was “serious, sophisticated and sustained” and had involved deception from his “first contact” with his victims.
He said between July 2020 and October 2021, Gibson used false names, had invented business opportunities, and used fake bank statements to show apparent substantial wealth to persuade them to hand money over.
“Joseph Gibson, you are simply a fraudster,” Crooknorth said.
“It has taken years for you to admit that.
“Pity those who have had the misfortune to have you come into their lives, prey on their affections, steal their money, steal their goals and fracture their relationships.”
PA MediaThe judge said Gibson had been of previous good character and admitted his offending, albeit shortly before his trial.
He added that the defendant would get little reduction in his sentence for remorse.
“You are sorry for the position you have found yourself in,” Crooknorth said.
He told the court he had £40,000 in savings but it emerged he had only £15,000.
Gibson told Crooknorth he could save £5,000 per month for compensation and asked for his sentence to be deferred for a further nine months to fully repay his victims.
The judge said: “You have tried to persuade this court that you have more money than you have. You have not shown evidence of that money to me.
“You have sought to deceive this court into believing that you had it.”
He said the victims had suffered “significant financial and emotional harm” as a result, with some left heavily in debt and with damaged relationships.
The judge said Gibson had previously tried to persuade the court he had not deliberately deceived the victims, but said the evidence had shown “deception was central” to his offending.
He said that there was little mitigation other than he had no previous convictions and had expressed some remorse, and he said that only immediate custody was appropriate.
Lead investigator Jenny Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police said: “Joseph Gibson is a confident and manipulative man who developed an extensive web of lies for his own personal gain.
“The impact of fraud on victims can often be profound and long-lasting, and those duped by Gibson have been left with significant debt, a loss of trust and the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
“His deception has left his victims struggling to come to terms with the extent of his dishonesty.”
