British pensioner made famous in Netflix’s ‘Con Mum’ faces fraud charges
A British pensioner who was made famous in Netflix’s “Con Mum” documentary has been charged with fraud in Singapore.
Dionne Marie Hanna is facing five counts of fraud involving three people. She appeared in court via video-link on Saturday.
The documentary, released on March 25, revealed how Hanna disrupted the life of her son, pastry chef Graham Hornigold, by reaching out to him in 2020 to inform him that she was his long-lost mother.
Her claim was confirmed by a DNA test, but Hornigold alleges that after their reunion, she deceived him out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Hanna, who had told her son she was a successful international entrepreneur, appeared in court from a hospital bed at Singapore’s Tan Tock Seng. The reason for her hospitalisation remains unclear.
Court documents in Singapore revealed that one charge involved the woman allegedly telling a Singaporean man that she was part of the Brunei royal family.
Police in Singapore confirmed they had received multiple complaints from alleged victims following the release of the Netflix documentary.
They further stated that initial investigations suggested Hanna was implicated in at least five fraud cases, with total losses exceeding £115,000.
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Authorities said: “As part of the arrangement to receive monies for the investment and inheritance, the victims were asked to transfer money for legal fees and opening of overseas bank accounts.”
“The victims believed her investment and release of inheritance to be genuine and made several transfers to her.”
If she is found guilty, Hanna could face up to 20 years in prison. She will next appear at court on April 11.
The documentary detailed how Hornigold, 50, who was born on a British Army base in Germany, was raised in St Albans by his abusive father, who would only tell him that his mother had left.
He shared that when he reunited with his biological mother, she told him she was dying of cancer, lavishing him and his partner with gifts- even buying them cars.
As her health seemed to deteriorate, she informed her son that she wanted him to inherit her money, but they would need to travel to Switzerland to open a bank account in his name.
Hornigold’s partner, Heather Kaniuk, became suspicious, particularly after learning he had transferred £100,000 into his mother’s accounts.
Kanuik, who is now split from Hornigold, expressed her worries in the film, saying: “I started becoming very afraid of who this woman was. I realised I was on a train heading for a wreck and I needed to save Graham.”
The pastry chef finally realised his mother had been lying – even about her cancer diagnosis.