Liverpool Crown Court has seen a recent spate of elaborate lies from defendants, ranging from a carer's bizarre excuse to a drug dealer's tale about a Pomeranian dog and a fraud involving non-existent pets.
Carer's 'bee hatch' excuse
Elaine Murtagh, 64, of Horace Street in St Helens, was accused of ill-treating a severely disabled wheelchair user at the children's home where she worked. She was alleged to have "yanked" the girl by her hair and called her a "little b****" after the 15-year-old pulled her own hair and necklace.
Murtagh claimed she was merely checking the teenager's hair for cleanliness and suggested she had been misheard saying "bee hatch" or "little witch," relating to the complainant's recent attendance at a Halloween party, though the incident occurred in March. Her account was not believed, and she was found guilty, leaving her in tears in the dock. The married mum-of-three and former teaching assistant will be sentenced next month.
Fake dog sales and insurance scams
Paul Brimble, a heroin and crack cocaine dealer, was caught with £1,000 in cash when arrested on Seel Street in Liverpool city centre. The 37-year-old, of Sefton Street in Brunswick, initially told officers the money came from selling a Pomeranian dog.
Robert Cretu, 40, of Lapwing Road in Kirkby, took out or attempted to take out 30 insurance policies covering dogs that never existed. He fraudulently pocketed £30,000 by claiming the pets had died, including one that allegedly fell into the sea from Blackpool Pier while chasing a seagull and another struck by a lorry during a trip to the Lake District.
Cover-ups and false claims
At the start of 2026, Steven and Lisa Naylor were jailed after a cover-up when Steven killed a man. He reached speeds of up to 120mph while driving drunk on the M62 after his partner's birthday party, plowing into a motorbike ridden by 23-year-old Owen Baugh, who was fatally knocked into the carriageway and hit by another vehicle.
Naylor, seriously injured and impaled by a wooden fence, exaggerated his difficulties with his wife to avoid justice. He claimed he could barely walk, but photos and videos showed him playing rugby, attending Reminisce Festival, kayaking, boating, holidaying in Dublin, and shopping at Aldi. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 12 years. Lisa Naylor pleaded guilty to the latter charge and was imprisoned for 54 months.
In February, Caitlin Powell and Aaron Newsome plotted a cover-up after her French bulldog Boss bit off their baby's toes when he was 26 days old. They claimed another dog was responsible, and Powell joked her son would "only need a one-legged sleep suit."
Harassment and theft lies
Kimberley Goodings' lies led to her ex-boyfriend being banned from every Costa Coffee in the country as she "made his life a living hell." The housing association worker was warned to stop contacting him after holding a knife to his face but instead harassed him, even chasing him around a Liverpool Shopping Park while accusing him of being a sex offender.
Lisa Gallagher appeared in court after claiming she had won the Irish Lottery when caught stealing £5,000 from the pharmacy where she worked. She confessed, promised to repay, but failed to show up for work again. A judge told her she was "very lucky" to avoid prison.
Last month, three-time convicted drug dealer Scott Beveridge claimed he planned to smoke a cannabis crop potentially worth more than £50,000 found in his home. Another judge "didn't for one minute accept his explanation."
Nathan Owens, a former teaching assistant, led police on a 38-mile high-speed chase after calling 999 to report brake failure on his Jaguar. Officers boxed him in on the M62, but the "Walter Mitty character" had invented the defect in a "frighteningly stupid" scheme to get out of a car finance agreement he couldn't afford. A friend had suggested he stage a crash to recoup money.
Even a juror, Dale Howarth, refused to complete his service over concerns he would be recognised driving his "bright pink car," with the city's then top judge remarking he had 'grave misgivings' about anything Howarth told him.
More inventive works of fiction are expected before the year is out.
