London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Dana Twidale: Wedding planner jailed for £57,000 fraud

Dana Twidale: Wedding planner jailed for £57,000 fraud

A wedding planner who conned would-be brides and grooms out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for five years.

Dana Twidale, 44, from Hull, fled to Spain after taking £15,000 from 24 couples for services she did not deliver between 2017 and 2019.

She also defrauded more than £42,000 from a man she met on a dating app, leaving him on the verge of bankruptcy.

Sentencing Twidale at Hull Crown Court, Judge Mark Bury said her actions were "callous" and "extremely unpleasant".

Some of the couples found out about her trickery via complaints on social media, days before their big day, while others only discovered they had been fleeced the night before their weddings when their orders did not materialise.

Twidale, who used the money to fund a gambling problem and a month-long holiday to Spain, also lied about being a domestic violence victim, that her mother had died and her brother had tried to commit suicide, in order to defraud people she knew.

One couple said: "I just do not have the words to describe how anyone with any morals could do this to anybody. I just cannot believe anybody could be so heartless."

The 44-year-old, who had a gambling problem, recognised her actions left all her victims "emotionally distressed", her defence barrister Michelle Stuart-Lofthouse said


Another couple, who had to sacrifice their honeymoon to pay for their wedding, said: "Because of Dana Twidale, I look back at my wedding day and, rather than thinking of the good things, I am constantly reminded of what she put us through."

Others said they "don't know how she can sleep at night" and described her as a "cold, malicious, calculating person who has no thoughts or feelings for other people planning what is the most significant day of their lives".

Judge Bury said: "Those frauds, 24 of them in total, amount to something in the order of £15,000.

"Not, in the grand scheme of things, a large amount of money, but to each and every one of those victims it meant a lot.

"The majority of them had saved and scrimped, gone without, to pay you to make their day special and you went off to Spain with the money, or to the local bookmakers I imagine."

The court was also told how Twidale also defrauded Nigel Wainwright, a man she had met on Tinder, out of £42,000, and Fiona Barker, a woman she met while working at a funeral directors that dealt with the funeral of Ms Barker's son, out of £650.

'Cunning and abhorrent'


Dale Brook, prosecuting, said Twidale "preyed" on the fact that Ms Barker's son had committed suicide by telling her she was in hospital after her brother tried to take his own life.

The claim "resonated" with Ms Barker, who pawned her phone to send Twidale money.

The barrister said Twidale told Mr Wainwright "highly calculated and emotive lies" - including exploiting his grief at his father's death with the "cunning and abhorrent" false claim that her mother had died - in order to extract money from him.

Twidale, of Newtown Court, Hull, pleaded guilty to 26 counts of fraud at a previous hearing at Hull Magistrates Court in May.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, defending, said Twidale accepted responsibility for what she had done.

She said: "What she recognises is that her actions have left all individuals emotionally distressed and with a loss of money."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×