A wedding planner who defrauded dozens of couples out of £130,000 has been warned he faces jail after blowing the money on gambling and a trip to Ibiza. Craig Williamson, 42, admitted the fraud at Dundee Sheriff Court, having taken payments for weddings at Guthrie Castle in Angus but failing to record the bookings.
Williamson, a gambling addict, spent up to £5,000 a day on betting and fled to Ibiza after telling colleagues he was visiting his sick father. The court heard that 39 bridal parties paid a total of around £130,000 directly into his bank account, with some weddings double- or triple-booked, leaving couples uncertain if their big day would go ahead.
Victims included Alice Cannon, who paid nearly £19,000 but discovered a week before her wedding that the castle had no record of her booking. Megan McNamee found her July wedding was triple-booked and had to reschedule. Kayleigh Ferguson’s mother also handed over almost £19,000 for a June wedding that was not recorded.
The castle’s owner, American businessman Dan Pena, has personally paid over £130,000 to cover refunds and honour bookings. Prosecutor Eilidh Robertson said brides were left “upset and stressed”. Williamson’s lawyer, Billy Rennie, said he had made efforts to resolve the case early. Sentencing was deferred for background reports.
