A BREAST cancer sufferer has spoken out after an Irishman claiming to be a barrister conned her out of £92,000.
Michael Troy Cremin, 42 and originally from Cork, was jailed for eight years after he conned Sandra Burch out of her life savings.
Cremin tricked Ms Burch out of £92,000 after misleading her into believing the money would be used to purchase land on her behalf.
The fantasist had advertised himself as a lawyer and advocate, and was listed on a legitimate chambers website and falsely claimed to have a law degree from the University of London.
In reality, while Cremin worked on several cases as a legal representative he had no legal qualifications.
He also had a history of using his knowledge of the legal system to threaten others or to distract people from his wrongdoing.
Michael Troy Cremin, originally from Co. Cork, was jailed for eight years at Bristol Crown Court. (Picture: Gloucestershire Constabulary)After gaining Ms Burch’s confidence, he kept her money for himself and even used some of it to buy a £29,000 Volkswagen Scirocco.
Police estimate that Cremin criminally acquired at least 14 vehicles with a total value over £330,000 from money he got from conning a series of people into believing he was a qualified barrister.
He also provided false employment references to a letting agency in Cirencester when he was a tenant at a house in the town.
He then disputed the owners' right to inspect the property and forced the owners to take action at the County Court and then the Court of Appeal before he was finally evicted.
It caused the elderly couple who had invested in the house as part of their retirement plan months of distress, health problems, lost rent and £20,000 in legal fees.
Speaking after his conviction, Sandra Burch, 51, and from Wiltshire, explained how she enlisted Cremin's help after she attempted to buy a property and land for a friend who had been declared bankrupt and was going to lose their home.
Using the money from her pension - as she left work in 2015 - and her partner's savings, Ms Burch thought buying the property would give her an income as she faced chemotherapy.
“At the time I’d been given 18 months, which are the statistics for secondary breast cancer.
"In April 2015 I left work so my salary went down to nothing – just a pension, which was enough to buy food and what have you.
“I was hoping the investment would give me an income and when I faced chemo I could stay home.
"That was our goal really, to stay at home and have that reassurance that we had that investment and if I needed to cash it in we could do for treatment overseas.
"Now I don’t have that option. I’ve now gone back to work three days a week, just to have money. I enjoy working but this person took all my options away from me.
The Volkswagen Sirocco, which Cremin bought after he defrauded Ms Burch of £92,000. (Picture: Gloucestershire Constabulary)“Every time I had a CT scan I was worried the cancer had grown because of the stress this person had put me through. When you are diagnosed with secondary breast cancer your anxiety levels are at a peak. All you worry about is the future and how you will leave your loved ones.
“I’ve always believed in trusting people. This person came across as a professional. He made me feel he was there helping me. I think he was hoping my prognosis was shorter so he would benefit even more from my funds. It was devastating.
“There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think about it. I stood in court with 12 people looking at me, thinking they must think I’m a complete idiot.
"I always thought my family and friends would think I’m a complete idiot. But I did my best and looking back now, I researched him, he came across as a professional, he had qualifications after his name.
"I did what any logical person would have done. The problem is he made a fool of me and took advantage of someone who really shouldn’t have been taken advantage of.”
Cremin, who was living in Cirencester Gloucestershire, was convicted and jailed at Bristol Crown Court this week for six counts of fraud and one count of pretending to be a barrister.
