Laurence Dollimore
BRITISH bride-to-be Rachel Doran waved off her hubby and his 30 pals as they headed to Leeds airport on what they thought would be the stag do of a life time in Spain.
However when Chris Mahone and his mates left their local pub in Cumbria and arrived to the airport, they were told there were no flights or hotel bookings under their names.
They soon discovered that Doran, 32, had instead pocketed the £11,160 kitty destined for the three-day trip to Ibiza and had forged a Jet2.com booking form, duping the group into thinking they had everything booked.
The stag trip, on September 6 2017, was scheduled just 10 days before the couple were due to tie the knot.
According to Leeds Live, Doran pleaded guilty on Tuesday to theft and fraud by forging the flight details.
Carlisle Crown Court heard how each of the pals had chipped in £360 each to pay for the trip.
The court heard how Doran suffered three miscarriages in the period leading up to the stag do, and that this may have affected her mental health and behaviour.
She was handed a 15-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Factory worker Doran, who now has a new partner, was also sentenced to 240 hours unpaid community work and 20 rehabilitation activity days.
She must also pay £3,600 compensation to be shared between the stag party.
Judge Nicholas Barker told her: “On the face of it you have acted in a deceitful and callous way. You must have known the theft would be found out and the world would come falling down around you.
“You did all this at a time you were preparing for your marriage.”
Mahone’s lawyer Gerard Rogerson previously told the court how the pair had known each other since school and that he had proposed on September 13 2015.
The group arrived at the airport at 5am when they discovered the gutting news.
Rogerson said: “It was then it dawned on Mr Mahone what was going on and he realised no bookings were made.
“Paperwork was produced including a Jet2 confirmation form. When it was looked at it became clear it was a fake document.”
The court then heard how when Mahone tried to ring Doran, she did not pick up the phone.
When she rang back later saying she wanted to talk, he told her he wanted ‘nothing to do with her’.
Rogerson added: “He then received a text message stating, erroneously, she was pregnant.”
Mahone told the court: “The whole experience has left me embarrassed. I trusted her, I loved her at the time and put all of my trust in her. I’ve lost confidence, I find it difficult to talk to women because I’m scared of getting hurt.
“I feel sorry Rachel took others’ hard-earned money too.”
Kim Whittlestone, representing Doran, detailed how she had tragically suffered three miscarriages in just 14 months.
“The impact on her mental health was significant,” Whittlestone said.
“It’s clear they did have an impact on her state of mind. One can only assume as a result of these pressures she behaved in the way she did.”
“This is a devastating case for all involved.”
