Mother Ordered to Repay £30,000 After Faking Terminal Cancer to Fund Boob Job

Laura McPherson, a 35-year-old mother, faked having multiple terminal cancers over several years to deceive her boyfriend, Jon Leonard, into paying nearly £30,000 for fake treatments, which she used for cosmetic surgery and luxury trips. She even led her young daughter to believe she was dying and went as far as taking hospital photos and wearing breast cancer support clothing to bolster her deceit. Leonard, who runs a charity events platform, was also duped into gifting her a £30,000 Rolex, believing it was a celebratory gift for her cancer remission. After McPherson's fraud was uncovered, she was ordered by Derby Crown Court to repay £30,714 by early January 2025, with the funds to be raised through the sale of a watch. Despite pleading guilty to fraud, she avoided jail and was given a community order earlier in 2025. Leonard expressed relief at the case's closure, revealing that McPherson had been fabricating cancer stories since secondary school, causing him significant emotional harm.