The conman who lied about multi-million-pound business deals with Gordon Ramsey and tricked his fiance with a fake wedding and fake vasectomy

A conman who posed as a hero firefighter with business links to A-list celebrities during an elaborate £100k fraud and left his fiance pregnant following a fake vasectomy has been jailed.
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Greg Wilson, who already had a wife and children in a nearby town, convinced Coleen Greenwood they had a lavish wedding booked at the luxury Wynard Hall in County Durham but backed out twice at short notice.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 39-year-old liar, who lived under the alias James Scott, persuaded Miss Greenwood and her sister Karen Crear to invest in a boutique hotel development and an upmarket property firm by claiming he had £2m backing from his millionaire mum, who was a former sports agent.

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The fraudster claimed he had lined up celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay to run the restaurant at the quayside hotel in Newcastle, had musician Sam Smith on board with marketing and had high-grade tenants including Sunderland football club's Jack Rodwell already renting homes.

Greg Wilson, who fraudulently claimed to be a hero firefighter with multi-million pound business deals called James Scott. Pictured with his ex-fiance Coleen Greenwood who was taken in by his lies. Also pictured is the empty Newcastle bar Wilson claimed he was going to convert into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.Greg Wilson, who fraudulently claimed to be a hero firefighter with multi-million pound business deals called James Scott. Pictured with his ex-fiance Coleen Greenwood who was taken in by his lies. Also pictured is the empty Newcastle bar Wilson claimed he was going to convert into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.
Greg Wilson, who fraudulently claimed to be a hero firefighter with multi-million pound business deals called James Scott. Pictured with his ex-fiance Coleen Greenwood who was taken in by his lies. Also pictured is the empty Newcastle bar Wilson claimed he was going to convert into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.

Prosecutor Richard Herrmann told the court by the time Wilson's "double-life" was exposed, Miss Greenwood had given birth to and registered their child under his fake name.

The sisters were left financially out of pocket by tens of thousands of pounds and have been left feeling humiliated and hurt, as well as financially damaged, by his cruel and clever deception.

The court heard Miss Greenwood had met Wilson, formerly of Chester le Street, County Durham, over dating site Match in 2014 and their relationship "flourished".

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Mr Herrmann told the court: "The defendant’s lying was detailed and convincing. He had even told Miss Greenwood about specific fires he had attended and even lied about an event when he saved the life of a child by jumping from the window of a burning building with the child in his arms, breaking his back in the process; he showed her a thank you card from the family.

Coleen Greenwood had a baby with the man she believed was a firefighter called James Scott, who had received £2 million from his mother who was a successful sports agent, and that they were to open a fancy boutique hotel and bar together and buy a mansion. PA PhotoColeen Greenwood had a baby with the man she believed was a firefighter called James Scott, who had received £2 million from his mother who was a successful sports agent, and that they were to open a fancy boutique hotel and bar together and buy a mansion. PA Photo
Coleen Greenwood had a baby with the man she believed was a firefighter called James Scott, who had received £2 million from his mother who was a successful sports agent, and that they were to open a fancy boutique hotel and bar together and buy a mansion. PA Photo

"It was all lies. He gave elaborate detail about family members, his own work and education history, where he lived and even his health; all of it was lies.

"Miss Greenwood believed it all, she had no reason to suspect that he was lying to her."

Mr Herrmann added: "In April 2015 the defendant told Miss Greenwood that he had arranged to have a vasectomy; he gave details of the hospital and the appointment and he even returned one day with bandages on his penis and a document purporting to show that the procedure had been successful and that his sperm count was zero.

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"Unbeknown to her, that was all a charade and the defendant had not had any such operation."

Undated handout photo issued by Durham Police of Greg Wilson, 39, who has been jailed for six years at Newcastle Crown Court after he lied to his fiancee about his name, marital status and wealth.Undated handout photo issued by Durham Police of Greg Wilson, 39, who has been jailed for six years at Newcastle Crown Court after he lied to his fiancee about his name, marital status and wealth.
Undated handout photo issued by Durham Police of Greg Wilson, 39, who has been jailed for six years at Newcastle Crown Court after he lied to his fiancee about his name, marital status and wealth.

The court heard Miss Greenwood fell pregnant within two months and was convinced by Wilson it was a "miracle" baby, who was born and registered using his father's fake identity.

The unplanned pregnancy put her life, and that of their baby, who was born prematurely, in danger.

The court heard at Christmas 2015 Wilson had presented her with a book headed ‘Coleen Scott Wedding Diary’ with details planning a wedding on 17 December 2016 at Wynyard Hall.

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The Pravda bar on Newcastle's Quayside which conman Greg Wilson, known as James Scott, claimed he would turn into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.The Pravda bar on Newcastle's Quayside which conman Greg Wilson, known as James Scott, claimed he would turn into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.
The Pravda bar on Newcastle's Quayside which conman Greg Wilson, known as James Scott, claimed he would turn into a boutique hotel with a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsey.
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Mr Herrmann told the court: "As 2016 went on the defendant claimed to have found a lump and to have suspected, testicular cancer. He visited the hospital for appointments, she even attended at one such appointment where the defendant was apparently called by the name James Scott to a treatment room.

"The defendant did not have testicular cancer, suspected or actual. It was an excuse to cancel or postpone the wedding, the defendant was at the time married.”

The wedding was rearranged at the same venue for 25 February 2017. This time 100 invitations were sent out and family and friends booked and paid for travel and accommodation.

However the second wedding date was cancelled when Wilson said he had to visit a child family member and was upset about being denied access to his daughters, who were living in Texas with his ex wife.

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The court heard it was the second wedding cancellation which prompted Ms Greenwood’s sister, Karen Crear to investigate Wilson's background and his shocking deception was slowly uncovered.

By then, the sisters had already quit their stable jobs to become "directors" in the boutique hotel, which he said would be named @Scotts and provided convincing paperwork and legal documents for.

Detective Constable Chris Bentham said Wilson's fraud was one of the worse he had seen in his 23-year career.Detective Constable Chris Bentham said Wilson's fraud was one of the worse he had seen in his 23-year career.
Detective Constable Chris Bentham said Wilson's fraud was one of the worse he had seen in his 23-year career.

He claimed his mother, who was actually a retired nursery manager living in Sunderland, had given him £2m to invest and set up a series of fake contacts.

Mr Herrmann added: "He created false documentation, including a ‘joint venture agreement contract’ and false email accounts, to convince others that the business was to be a joint venture with Gordon Ramsay who was going to run the restaurant and provide the staff."

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Using a similar rouse, Wilson duped the women into becoming directors of a property business named Gemini. He claimed the property business would include tenants already held by his mother, including footballers Jack Rodwell and Vito Mannone, which was completely false.

During the fraud, Wilson registered to buy a luxury £1.6m home at Ramside Park in County Durham, using a forged bank statement showing a £2m balance and was given access to Ramside Hall's spa, gym and golf facilities before he was found out.

Miss Greenwood said she has been left devastated that the life she hoped for was "built on deception and lies" and is consumed by feelings of "stupidity and humiliation".

She added: "I believed I was sharing my life with a wonderful, caring man, a true hero who risked his life as a firefighter."

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Wilson admitted eight charges of fraud, two of forgery, one of making a false statement about a birth and one of converting criminal property.

Judge James Adkin jailed Wilson for a total of six years and told him: "You knew how cruel you were being. These were sophisticated and sustained frauds, causing huge damage."

Julian White, defending, told the court "little could be said" about Wilson's crimes, which were "incomprehensible".

He added: "Psychiatric problems do not appear to be the underlying feature of his behaviour here. It is suggested more likely personality factors involved here."

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In a statement read out in court, Miss Greenwood said that Wilson abandoned her and their child when confronted about his lies, passing their baby out of his car window to her family before driving away, never to be seen by them again.

She said: “I felt to the outside worlds that I was a complete and utter gullible fool. I have children from a previous relationship and felt like my family was complete.

"My two daughters regarded James as a stepdad and a friend. To find out they had also been part of the fraud and manipulation was horrendous. It’s horrible to see my daughters lose trust in people.

"The whole fraud has created long lasting effects on mine and my family’s lives. I continue to suffer from anxiety and still have difficulty sleeping.

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“Our child’s birth certificate has a father’s name that never existed and I’ve found no way of changing it.

"One of the hardest things I will have to do is, at some point in the future, I will have to sit down with my wonderful son and explain the horrendous truth about his father’s deception.”

Detective Constable Chris Bentham of Durham Constabulary said this was was one of the worst manipulations he had encountered in his career.

He said: “In my 23 years of policing, I have never encountered a man as manipulative as Greg Wilson – or James Scott, as he would have others refer to him as.

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“He is a compulsive liar who has shown absolutely no remorse for those he has hurt.

“He built a huge web of lies, the scale of which I have never seen before in my policing career. But as soon as his lies began to unravel, he fled like a coward, leaving his baby son without a father and his wife-to-be without a partner.”

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