BDSM RTV MEDIA NEWS!!!!



22 sept 2010



Dominatrix escapes jail despite £500k mortgage fraud



Source: www.bridgingandcommercial.co.uk  - Bridging and Commerical  - UK


UK- A dominatrix who lied about her profession to obtain nearly £500,000 in mortgages has escaped prison after a judge felt sorry for her - reports the Huddersfield Examiner newspaper.


Joanne Garner obtained £482,741 in mortgages and remortgages on three houses, after she lied about her job and claimed she was a beautician.

In reality she operated a ‘thriving’ S&M parlour from her house in Huddersfield.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the 35-year-old sex worker claimed she was working as a yoga instructor and a self-employed beautician, in order to obtain a number of mortgages between 2002 and 2007.

Jonathon Sharp, prosecuting, said: “In reality Miss Garner was, as she admitted, a sex worker and she had an apparently thriving practice as a dominatrix. She failed to declare the true nature of her work, describing herself as beautician.”

Garner admitted to six counts of fraud, totaling £166,198.50, but was spared a prison sentence after the judge apparently took pity on her.
The Court heard how, despite the fraudulent way she obtained the mortgages, she had kept up the monthly repayments. One company had even made a profit from lending her money.

Judge Durham Hall sentenced Garner to a nine-month prison sentence but suspended it for twelve months, and gave her a twelve months supervision order.

He expressed his sympathy about her situation, and said: “The fact she has so far maintained the accounts impeccably indicates her desire to get out of the trap of sex work.

“The harsh reality here is that you could not disclose the nature of your job nor could you reveal the illegitimacy of your income.

“I will ask you with some qualms to do unpaid work for the community. I am sure they can find something for your talents in other fields.

“You have skills outside the trap of your profession and I hope those can be best used for supporting others less well-off than you.”

Garner was also cleared of three money laundering charges against her, which included at least seven cars having been bought with the scam money.

She will appear at a future hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and will have to explain how she came to acquire over £300,000 in what was alleged to be “dirty money”.