An unemployed mother of two has been ordered to pay compensation after defrauding her widowed neighbour out of £672.50 through fake Glastonbury Festival tickets.
Holly Griffin, 35, from East Pennard, Somerset, admitted fraud by false representation at Salisbury magistrates' court.
The court heard Griffin sold non-existent tickets to the 2023 festival, which featured headliners Arctic Monkeys, Guns 'N' Roses, and Elton John.
Despite living just three miles from the festival site, where locals are entitled to free admission, Griffin continued the deception for eight months.
She was fined £200 and ordered to pay £750 in compensation to her victim, Paul Kelly.
Kelly had hoped attending Glastonbury would help him socialise after losing his wife in 2021.
"I lost my wife in 2021, I had been struggling to get myself out of the house," he told the court in a victim impact statement.
After paying Griffin £672.50 for the tickets, Kelly spent hundreds more on camping equipment, refreshments, a cool box and new clothes for the five-day event.
He only discovered the tickets did not exist on the eve of the festival.
"I have struggled to trust anyone, I feel ashamed and an idiot," Kelly said in his statement.
The tickets would have been worth £340 each at face value for the sell-out event.
Prosecutors told the court Griffin knew months before the 2023 festival that the tickets she sold to the grieving widower did not exist.
Griffin had hoped to receive six free local resident tickets but was only allocated two, the court heard.
Despite this, she continued to exchange "flirtatious" messages with Kelly, knowing he was recently bereaved.
Kerry Richardson, prosecuting, said: "In Griffin's own account she said she knew those tickets were not available from February 2023 but it is the Crown's case she advertised them fraudulently from the start."
"She continued to contact Mr Kelly right up until the day of the festival," the prosecutor added.
The court heard Griffin started a "false relationship" with Kelly while being aware of his recent loss.
Griffin pleaded guilty and told the court she had "stuck her head in the sand" to avoid conflict with Kelly.
"As soon as I found out I could not come up with the tickets I should have told Mr Kelly," she said.
"I would have told Mr Kelly back in February but I could not deal with any more conflict, I stuck my head in the sand."
District Judge Timothy Pattinson highlighted the breach of trust as the most serious factor in sentencing.
"You have told me you are very remorseful, I accept that is the case," the judge said.
The court ordered Griffin to pay a £200 fine alongside the £750 compensation to Kelly.
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Holly Griffin, 35, from East Pennard, Somerset, admitted fraud by false representation at Salisbury magistrates' court.
The court heard Griffin sold non-existent tickets to the 2023 festival, which featured headliners Arctic Monkeys, Guns 'N' Roses, and Elton John.
Despite living just three miles from the festival site, where locals are entitled to free admission, Griffin continued the deception for eight months.
She was fined £200 and ordered to pay £750 in compensation to her victim, Paul Kelly.
Kelly had hoped attending Glastonbury would help him socialise after losing his wife in 2021.
"I lost my wife in 2021, I had been struggling to get myself out of the house," he told the court in a victim impact statement.
After paying Griffin £672.50 for the tickets, Kelly spent hundreds more on camping equipment, refreshments, a cool box and new clothes for the five-day event.
He only discovered the tickets did not exist on the eve of the festival.
"I have struggled to trust anyone, I feel ashamed and an idiot," Kelly said in his statement.
The tickets would have been worth £340 each at face value for the sell-out event.
Prosecutors told the court Griffin knew months before the 2023 festival that the tickets she sold to the grieving widower did not exist.
Griffin had hoped to receive six free local resident tickets but was only allocated two, the court heard.
Despite this, she continued to exchange "flirtatious" messages with Kelly, knowing he was recently bereaved.
Kerry Richardson, prosecuting, said: "In Griffin's own account she said she knew those tickets were not available from February 2023 but it is the Crown's case she advertised them fraudulently from the start."
"She continued to contact Mr Kelly right up until the day of the festival," the prosecutor added.
The court heard Griffin started a "false relationship" with Kelly while being aware of his recent loss.
Griffin pleaded guilty and told the court she had "stuck her head in the sand" to avoid conflict with Kelly.
"As soon as I found out I could not come up with the tickets I should have told Mr Kelly," she said.
"I would have told Mr Kelly back in February but I could not deal with any more conflict, I stuck my head in the sand."
District Judge Timothy Pattinson highlighted the breach of trust as the most serious factor in sentencing.
"You have told me you are very remorseful, I accept that is the case," the judge said.
The court ordered Griffin to pay a £200 fine alongside the £750 compensation to Kelly.
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