A woman who was allegedly scammed by the mum of a fake Hollywood star was told she couldn’t be repaid because the director of Batman was holding onto a bank card, a court has heard.
Ann Dunlop, 67, is accused of conning tens of thousands of pounds out of people who believed they were helping her daughter to take on big acting roles.
The pensioner, who’s from Beauly, has denied obtaining £35,368 by fraud from her businessman brother and other relatives between March and December 2016.
A trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court has now heard from 61-year-old Jean Allan, who said she’d handed over cash to Dunlop and the accused’s aspiring actress daughter.
The witness claimed that she was “induced” to pay out a total of £1,500 to help out with bills.
She believed the actress had signed million-pound contracts and was being lined up to work with Hollywood A-listers but could not access money.
The court heard Jean was later allegedly told that the bank had given a bank card to the account to Batman and Edward Scissorhands director Tim Burton, who kept it in a safe.
Acting contracts ‘worth millions of pounds’
Jean – a retired senior administrator – stated that the actress had graduated from a prestigious London acting and music school.
She allegedly went on to star in Britain’s Got Talent and a show which featured comedian Noel Fielding.
Jean believed that US talent executive Irving Azoff became her manager and that she was set to work with famous faces.
This included a film with the Coen brothers, a prequel to Kill Bill with Quentin Tarantino and a place on a stage production of Miss Saigon.
Jean also recalled that the woman had been in a recording studio with Beyonce.
Jean stated that she was told that the actress had signed “contracts worth millions of pounds”.
The witness claimed Ann – who lived with the actress – also discussed venturing to Los Angeles and buying million-pound properties in the UK.
She said: “My impression was everything was good”.
Prosecutor Redmond Harris asked what level of trust Jean had in them and she replied: “100%”.
Mr Harris asked what changed in her level of trust towards Ann.
A visibly upset Jean replied: “I was beginning to realise what I was being told was constantly changing. I was told matters would resolve by a specific date and in a specific way”.
‘It was my understanding they were destitute’
Jean recalled being asked by Ann to pay a £536 gas bill.
She said: “It came as a complete shock to me. I was sick with worry. I was so concerned for their welfare, however, I gave over another £1,000”.
The witness claimed that the £1,000 went to the actress and was promised it back on a specific date.
Jean stated that she handed over the cash as “it was my understanding they were destitute”.
She also said that she was told stories by Ann about the work which her daughter Heather was doing.
“The information was that she was extremely busy with numerous contracts that were almost being juggled,” she explained.
“There was some recording vocal work to be done…there was a film adaption of Wicked. She was extremely busy as far as we were aware.”
Jean added that the woman had an expensive flat in London’s Notting Hill, owned designer handbags and ate at Harrods.
Jean claimed she was told that Coutts’ bank had the woman’s earnings and they invested it after she had “erroneously signed paperwork”.
‘I was induced to give funds’
The witness stated that there were further issues reclaiming the cash.
She said: “I spoke to Ann who told me that the money had cleared, however, the bank card and chequebook had been given by the bank, not to the woman, but to the director Tim Burton.
“He took them home and put them in a safe and the woman would not be able to access them until after the weekend.
“My reaction was, ‘that’s odd’ and the use of that word caused great offence.”
Jean said she was “devastated” after realising that she was not getting her money back.
“If I had known that the money was not available, I wouldn’t have given it over. I was induced to give funds,” she said.
The witness informed her brother who told her that he had also given them a significant amount of money.
“Over the years and years, we had been told this fiction. It was described like a bereavement by my GP,” Jean said.
The trial, before Sheriff Kevin McCarron, continues.
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