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Bake a Cake boss faces jail after leaving brides out of pocket in £100k wedding scam

A 41-year-old mother of two has been warned she faces jail after admitting a wedding catering con that cost brides-to-be and companies more than £100,000.

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Scores of couples had their big day blighted by Lisa Holt's firm Bake a Cake that failed to provide the catering packages and other services that customers had paid for.

Lisa Holt arrived at court on crutches

Dudley Trading Standards Department received 150 complaints involving a total of £56,000 worth of broken promises by the company, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard today.

Up to 500 more people made similar claims on social media after the Halesowen-based business collapsed.

Internet giant Wowcher, that offers deals by third parties, also fell victim to the fraudster after she lied to the online company about her ill fated firm's resources.

Holt falsely claimed to have 16 photo booths and ten staff and, as a result, the two sides reached an agreement for her to provide photo booths at weddings and parties which Wowcha advertised on its website and paid her a share of the booking fees.

She pocketed up to £46,000 from this arrangement but did not provide the photo booths for 556 people, leaving Wowcha to refund the disgruntled customers.

The overall bill could have been as high as £80,000 when their anticipated profit was taken into account.

Holt from Albert Road, Halesowen - who arrived at court on crutches - pleaded guilty to defrauding Bake a Cake customers between May 1 and August 31 2015 and making false representations to Wowcha on July 15 2015.

She further admitted making a false claim to AXA insurance on August 18 2016 that a £6,000 Hog roast machine had been stolen during a burglary.

Husband and money launderer Ryan Holt

Her husband Ryan, of the same age and address, pleaded guilty to money laundering.

He admitted converting criminal property between May 1 2014 and August 31 2015 by transferring funds between bank accounts registered to him and his wife.

Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of Dudley Council, told the court: "We accept this was a business which started out legitimately and became fraudulent but we do not accept the claim from Mrs Holt that one of the reasons it failed was because of a hate campaign against her by competitors."

She said in her basis of plea that she admitted 'robbing Peter to pay Paul while the business was not financially viable."

The couple were remanded on bail for pre-sentencing reports until February 3 when full details of the case are expected to be outlined to the court.

Judge Barry Berlin told them: "You must not run away with the feeling that this is going to end with you avoiding a custodial sentence.

"In my judgement these are very serious offences and an immediate custodial sentence is the likely outcome."

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