A mum who pretended to have multiple cancers to scam her boyfriend out of tens of thousands of pounds has now been ordered to repay over £30,000 by a UK court after an eight-year-long deception.

35-year-old Laura McPherson pretended to be dying from multiple cancers and convinced her then-boyfriend, Jon Leonard, to cover the cost of what he thought were lifesaving treatments. Instead, the money went towards cosmetic surgery, a luxury retreat, and designer gifts. McPherson’s lies ran deep,she staged hospital photos, wore “Breast Cancer Support” clothes, and even let her young daughter believe she was dying.

The scheme began back in 2017 when McPherson told Leonard she had cervical cancer. Over time, she added more diagnoses, claiming to also have ovarian, colon, bowel and breast cancer. Each time, Leonard, desperate to help, handed over more money. He spent more than £25,000 on so-called treatments, including a stay at the Mayr Resort in Austria, a high-end weight-loss retreat, and a boob job she said was needed after a mastectomy.

When she told him she’d been given the all-clear from one of the cancers, he bought her a £30,000 Rolex as a celebration gift. In court, prosecutors called it “an elaborate tale of deceit” and said McPherson had exploited Leonard’s kindness for years.

At a confiscation hearing this week, a judge ruled that McPherson must repay £30,714 by January 5 or face further punishment. The ruling comes months after she narrowly avoided jail in March when she pleaded guilty to fraud and was handed a community order instead.

Speaking after the hearing, Leonard said the decision finally brought closure to a nightmare that lasted nearly a decade.

“It’s finally over,” he said. “She never had cancer, and it’s come to light she’s been making it up since secondary school. She’s been exposed for the horrible, lying, manipulative individual she is.”

Leonard described years of being gaslit and emotionally manipulated. He said McPherson would stage late-night meltdowns, accuse him of being unsupportive, and lash out if he questioned her story.

Perhaps the cruelest part of her lie was the emotional damage it caused to her daughter. Teachers at the girl’s school contacted Leonard after she broke down, convinced her mum was dying. In his victim impact statement, Leonard said McPherson had “stolen eight years of his life” and left him,

“Wracked by self-doubt and emotionally scarred.”

He also said she’d continued spreading lies about him even after pleading guilty.

By 2022, McPherson’s story started to fall apart. Investigators discovered there were no medical records matching her claims. When confronted, she accused Leonard of being controlling, but later admitted the fraud in court. Her lawyer told the judge she suffered from depression and anxiety and had since sought therapy.

Online, people have called the sentence too soft, saying she should have faced prison for such a manipulative crime. One person wrote:

“Faking cancer for cash is beyond evil. She should be ashamed.”

Another added:

“People like her make it harder for real cancer patients to get help.”

With the court order now in place, McPherson must pay every penny back by January 5. Failure to do so could land her in jail. For Leonard, the ruling marks the end of a long and painful chapter. He said:

“It’s closure. She’s finally been held accountable.”