Wedding fraudster to pay back just £1! Victims left disgusted by punishment for £122k conwoman

Around 100 couples were 'left high and dry' by Sarah Cawthorne and her 'A Little Bit of Bling' business, which had promised to provide glitzy finishing touches to their big day.

She was jailed for 12 months for fraudulent trading at Wolverhampton Crown Court in April.

It is believed at least 100 brides-to-be throughout the UK were defrauded of more than £30,000 between July 2012 and September 2013.

But since then, investigations by Dudley Trading Standards have revealed that Cawthorne, of Hickmerelands Lane, Sedgley, actually gained £122,434 in total from her criminal actions, as further victims have been identified.

The mother-of-two claimed to have been suffering from a gambling addiction at the time of the offence.

She served part of that sentence in prison before being released on licence and now wears an electronic tag.

Cawthorne, 32, appeared at the court yesterday for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, held to claw back money from assets belonging to criminals. But Ms Emma Brotherford, prosecuting, revealed that an agreement had been struck between Dudley Council and Cawthorne.

"The defendant has no assets and a nominal order for £1 is sought," Ms Rutherford said.

Judge John Walsh replied: "If there is no realisation of assets then £1 must be paid within 28 days or one day in lieu of custody."

Cawthorne was supposed to have decorated couple's venues. One of her victims Sarah Broadley, 33, of Wordsley, found out the morning of her September 2013 wedding that Cawthorne was not going to deliver the goods she had ordered and paid for.

Mrs Broadley said: "It's absolutely disgusting that she is only paying back £1 and has only spent a few months in jail. I'm speechless."

Victim Jade Craddock, 33, of Hall Green, Birmingham, lost £1,000. "It's just ridiculous that she's only had to pay £1 back," she said. "But everyone in the area knows what she has done and you can't put a price on that."