Fraudulent Ticket Scheme
A woman has been ordered to pay a sum to her widowed neighbor after she stole £670 from him using fake Glastonbury tickets.
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Paul Kelly, who lost his wife in 2021, shared that he hoped attending the legendary music festival would help “get him out of the house.” His neighbor, Holly Griffin, from East Pennard in Somerset, then defrauded him of over £670 with fake Glastonbury tickets.
Appearing at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court, Griffin admitted to fraud by false representation. She was fined £200 and ordered to pay Kelly £750 in compensation.
According to UK News, both Kelly and Griffin live about three miles from the festival site, which entitles them to free entry. However, Griffin conned her widowed neighbor for eight months by offering him three tickets priced at £672.50 to the massive 2023 music event.
Impact on Victim
Glastonbury 2023’s annual Worthy Farm festival featured performances from Sir Elton John, The Arctic Monkeys, Rick Astley, Foo Fighters, The Chemical Brothers, Manic Street Preachers, Lana Del Rey, Lizzo, and many others.
According to Telegraph, Griffin only received two of the six tickets she requested, and still continued to scam Kelly. The court heard that Griffin had been making advances towards Kelly for eight months, sending him “flirty” messages and presenting “false relationships,” fully aware that he had recently lost his wife.
Kelly became aware of a scam involving fake Glastonbury tickets prior to the festival in 2023. In his victim impact statement, Kelly said: “I lost my wife in 2021, I struggled to get out of the house. (After the fake tickets) I have a hard time trusting anyone, I’m ashamed, and I’m an idiot.”
Kerry Richardson, prosecuting, informed judges: “In Griffin’s own account, she said she knew these tickets would not be available from February 2023, but the fact is that the Crown advertised them fraudulently from the start. She continued to contact Mr. Kelly until the day of the festival, resulting in him losing £627.50.”
Richardson emphasized, “In terms of emotional distress, Griffin knew of his wife’s passing and continued to interact with him as if they were in a relationship.”
Griffin explained in court that she had her “head in the sand” and was attempting to avoid conflict with her neighbor. “As soon as I found out I couldn’t find the tickets, I should have told Mr. Kelly,” she admitted. “I would have told Mr. Kelly back in February, but I couldn’t endure the conflict any longer.”
“The most serious factor is the breach of trust… there was a very significant lack of trust,” District Judge Timothy Pattinson stated during Griffin’s sentencing. “You indicated that you feel very remorseful, and I concur with that.”
Upcoming Glastonbury Highlights
In other news, Neil Young has been announced as the 2025 Glastonbury headliner after reversing his decision to withdraw from the festival due to creative differences.
Additionally, Rod Stewart will be performing during the Legends slot on Sunday afternoon. Nile Rodgers and Chic have also announced their return to the festival this summer.
Other rumored headliners include Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Fender, The 1975, Taylor Swift, and Stevie Wonder. The full festival lineup is typically revealed in March.
Last November, tickets for Glastonbury 2025 sold out in just 32 minutes, utilizing a new ticket queuing system.
The upcoming edition will be the last before Glastonbury’s fallow year begins in 2026. Visit here for more information on how to get Glastonbury tickets, pricing details, and more.
The 2024 festival featured headliners Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA, along with notable performances from Shania Twain, Little Simz, Fontaines DC, and IDLES.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/glastonbury-neighbour-scammed-recently-bereaved-widow-out-of-670-fake-tickets-3829193?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=glastonbury-neighbour-scammed-recently-bereaved-widow-out-of-670-fake-tickets
