A conman who claimed he was a special forces soldier turned multi-millionaire cancer patient has been jailed for three years and two months. Joseph Gibson lied that he had served in the Special Boat Service, owned luxury yachts and cars, and was worth £400 million. The 35-year-old was eventually arrested and admitted four counts of fraud, relating to three women and one man, who he conned out of £68,000 between July 2020 and October 2021.
Failed compensation bid
The fraudster previously asked a judge at Bristol Crown Court to delay sentencing in his case – claiming he had £40,000 in savings to repay his victims after working in the engineering industry in the UK, Bulgaria and Dubai. On Thursday (20 August), Gibson admitted he had been unable to raise the sum and could only provide £15,000 until more funds became available. He told Recorder Jaron Crooknorth that he could save £5,000 per month for compensation and asked for his sentence to be deferred for a further nine months to fully repay his victims.
However, the judge refused that request and instead jailed Gibson for three years and two months. The judge also ordered the start of proceedings to recover money gained through his fraud. "Joseph Gibson, you are simply a fraudster," the judge told him. "It has taken years for you to admit that. Pity those who have had the misfortune to have you come into their lives, prey on their affections, steal their money, steal their goals and fracture their relationships."
Victims targeted on Tinder
The judge said Gibson had been of previous good character and admitted his offending, albeit shortly before his trial. He added that the defendant would get "very little" reduction in his sentence for remorse. "You are sorry for the position you have found yourself in," the judge said. "You have tried to persuade this court that you have more money than you have. You have not shown evidence of that money to me. You have sought to deceive this court into believing that you had it."
The court heard how Gibson met two of his victims on Tinder and convinced one of them they were in a relationship. He showed them pictures of large houses and claimed he was thinking of buying them. Gibson told his victims that he had cancer, had served in the Special Boat Service, had been blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED) – with the judge describing these claims as "total fantasy".
In text messages released following the case, Gibson is shown claiming he had homes in Sandbanks, Bath, Dubai, Singapore and Mayfair, London, as well as 21 rental properties. He wrote: "Mate I have everything I want I have amazing houses cars boats helicopters." Gibson also claimed to have made £1.1 million through financial trading, adding: "I am trading a 5 million account on my phone from a hospital bed". In one exchange, he asked a victim about their preference for clothing and shoe brands. After being asked the spending limit, Gibson replied: "Haha can I let you into a little secret I think we know you well enough and I can trust you now but please do not repeat it it’s not in a bragging and showing off way I’m pretty humble… In January I was valued at 440m if you need me."
Impact on victims
His first victim, a Devon-based businesswoman, lost more than £5,200 after believing his lies and handing over money for him to purchase stock for her retail business. In August 2020, Gibson told the woman – who he had met on Tinder – that he had cancer and even sent her a photograph of himself purportedly in a hospital bed. By the end of his fraud, the woman had just 93p left in her bank account. The judge described Gibson’s second victim as "another Tinder trap" in which he based himself on Mr Grey from the Fifty Shades Of Grey film.
Gibson discovered the woman had £10,000 in savings and convinced her to send it to him for investing, claiming he could turn it into £150,000. In 2021, the woman took out a £4,000 loan as Gibson claimed he urgently needed money for private cancer treatment. She was later forced to take out an individual voluntary agreement to manage her debts. "She is broken and exhausted," the judge told Gibson. "She has lost all confidence and trust."
The third victim was a relative of the second victim, and took out loans to invest in Gibson’s bogus investment deals. In total, she lost more than £18,000. "She begged for her money back," the judge told Gibson. Gibson’s final victim was a retired superyacht captain, who the defendant told he had purchased a £7 million yacht after selling a weapons programme to the US government for £400 million. The man described how he was driven to tears writing his victim personal statement, describing the impact of Gibson’s offending on him. "His dream of travelling around the world with his wife has gone," the judge said.
Gibson, of Ruthin, Denbighshire, appeared to be shaking throughout the court hearing. He will next appear for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to recover his assets to repay his victims, in March. Speaking after the case, lead investigator Jenny Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Joseph Gibson is a confident and manipulative man who developed an extensive web of lies for his own personal gain. The impact of fraud on victims can often be profound and long-lasting, and those duped by Gibson have been left with significant debt, a loss of trust and the difficult task of rebuilding their lives. His deception has left his victims struggling to come to terms with the extent of his dishonesty."
