Bake a Cake boss jailed after 'cruel and deceitful' £100k wedding scam

Former nurse Lisa Holt pocketed over £100,000 while tricking customers into paying for catering packages that never arrived at wedding receptions and birthday parties.

The 41-year-old's mechanic husband Ryan, also 41, who illegally raked in £57,000 helping to run Bake A Cake, their fraudulent Halesowen-based business that collapsed in summer 2015, had his prison sentence reduced to nine months for the sake of their children.

• UPDATE: Couples speak out after wedding day heartache at hands of Bake a Cake

Judge Barry Berlin told the wife at Wolverhampton Crown Court: "You are a callous and dishonest woman who, rather than robbing Peter to pay Paul, as you suggest, was robbing Peter and Paul to pay yourself without conscience for the misery you caused."

He told the husband who laundered the money through his bank account: "You accept that you should have asked more questions.

"The reason you did not was the result of Nelsonian blindness in that you did not want to know the answers."

Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said: "Lisa operated an online business purporting to provide catering packages and other services for weddings and parties.

"Over and over again, when customers paid for services nothing was provided. People had important events in their lives ruined."

She continued taking bookings and cash after it was obvious there was no chance of performing the services for which people had paid, the court heard.

Her husband siphoned the takings through his bank account, either spending the cash, or transferring it into his wife's account.

Over 700 people were left out of pocket when the business went bust.

Mr Jackson revealed: "The prosecution had 158 separate complaints Lisa Holt and her trading practices.

"The complainants lie all around the United Kingdom - this was an online business.

"The victims discussed their orders with Lisa Holt with payments being made, in the main, into Ryan Holt's bank account.

In addition to defrauding the customers she also defrauded her suppliers.

"She deceived Wowcher in order to secure events on that platform from which she sold photo booths and chocolate foutains.

"Having taken off customers she failed to provide services, leaving Wowcher to to refund 556 Bake A Cake customers.

"Wowcher are owed more than £45,000, which represents cash advanced to Lisa Holt for services that she failed to supply."

She also made a fake £6,500 insurance claim – which was not paid – to AXA Insurance for a £6,500 hog roast that had supposedly been stolen during an alleged burglary.

She had not mentioned this when reporting the 'crime' to police and was unable to provide any proof of its purchase, the court was told.

Judge Barry said that Lisa Holt, who lived with her husband at Albert Road, Halesowen, was 'cruel and deceitful.'

He continued: "You were practised in making excuses to your clients while displaying a blasé attitude.

"You fraudulently obtained money from many hundreds of customers." She is now repaying those she cheated at £1-a-month meaning some will have to wait up to 155 years for the debt top be repaid.

Miss Nicole Steers, defending, said: "She has taken some steps to settle her debts but knows she can never repay people for the misery she caused.

"Some may never get paid while others are getting the money back in dribs and drabs. She accepts that her actions were callous and makes no excuses."

The couple have two children, aged seven and three, while Lisa Holt is now expecting twins, the court heard. Judge Barry said that this would be taken into account but insisted it could not over ride the need for justice.

Carly Armstrong, aged 32, who lost £1,700 and had her wedding day ruined by Bake A Cake travelled from her Nottingham home to see the Holts jailed.

She said afterwards: "Now I have got justice I can start to put this whole terrible episode in my life to bed. I have been suffering from depression since my wedding day of July 11, 2015."

The Lisa Holt pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent business between May 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015, defrauding Wowcha and making a false claim while her husband admitted money laundering.