A "despicable" conwoman, who posed as a cancer-stricken St. Ormond Street Hospital nurse and duped at least 54 victims into sponsoring her non-existent charity walk, was jailed for six months today.
Mother-of-three Rosemary Cotter, 40, also claimed she was raising funds for St. Thomas's Hospital during the two-month door-to-door scam.
"One can hardly think of a more emotive line than: 'I'm collecting for children with cancer at St. Ormond Street.' It's despicable," said Woolwich Crown Court Judge Michael Topolski QC.
"What you did fifty-four times is particularly reprehensible," he told Cotter. "You knocked on the doors of members of the public and pretended to be collecting money for charity."
Street cleaner Cotter, of Woolwich pleaded guilty to defrauding a 72 year-old Bexleyheath pensioner of £10 by falsely representing she was a charity collector and asked for fifty-three similar offences between November 1, 2012 and January 4, this year to be taken into consideration.
'The charity you chose was Great Ormond Street Hospital. You lied to her about that, you lied to her that you were a nurse and that you were a charity collector for cancer research.
"You chose quite deliberately and cynically a well-known and well-loved institution," added the judge.
Prosecutor Mr. Gregor McKinley told the court (pictured) Cotter tricked her way into the 72 year-old victim's home. "Mrs Cotter said she herself was suffering with cancer and sat on the sofa and asked if she could smoke a cigarette."
She convinced the pensioner she was participating in a charity walk from Woolwich to Great Ormond Street, using a Woman's Own magazine cancer article to back up her story, and received £10 sponsorship.
The victim discovered £400 cash was missing from an ornament after the defendant had left, but a burglary charge was not pursued against Cotter.
The defendant was arrested in Sidcup and police found completed sponsorship forms for the 53 other victims during a search of her home.
"Maybe she was going to do it again with the same people who had given generously once already and ask them to double the money," commented Judge Topolski.
"It makes the charity giver more suspicious the next time someone genuinely asks them for money for charity, but of course you did not care about that. You just wanted to make some money."
None of the other 53 victims realised they had been conned at the time and Cotter's gain is estimated at approximately £550.
She was also ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge.
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