STORY
Joseph Gibson has been jailed after admitting that he created false identities and used a series of lies to defraud four people of almost £68,000. The 35-year-old, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to three years and two months in prison.
Gibson portrayed himself variously as a millionaire businessman, entrepreneur, military veteran, doctor, air ambulance pilot and cancer patient. He showed his victims pictures of houses, cars and boats he falsely claimed to own and even signed agreements to purchase a mansion, a sports car and a yacht valued at almost £6 million. Police found that he owned none of the assets and had no apparent regular legitimate income.
The victims included a businesswoman who paid Gibson for stock which never arrived, a woman he met through Tinder who transferred more than £30,000 and a retired yacht captain who handed over £25,300 from his savings. Avon and Somerset Police said Gibson had left his victims with substantial debts and lasting emotional harm. A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act is due to take place in March 2027.