A ‘femme fatale’ who cheated a professional gambl

A ‘femme fatale’ who cheated a professional gambler out of
pnds stlg 75,000 has been jailed for eight years by an Old Bailey
judge.

Florence Holman, 26, told John Williamson, 55, that unless
he handed over the cash he would be kidnapped and castrated by
Moslem extremists.

Holman, described by the judge as ‘an extremely dangerous and
deceitful woman’ even managed to persuade Mr Williamson’s best
pal to join her in the wicked scheme.

The friend, 77-year old Bruce Milton, who helped forge a bank
draft authorising the transfer of pnds stlg 150,000 into Holman’s
account, was given a 12 month sentence suspended for a year.

The court heard Mr Williamson was a gambler who used aliases
to hide a string of previous convictions, ranging from brothel
keeping to vagrancy.

He retired to a five bedroomed home in Kennilworth Road,
Ashford, Middlesex, due to ill health, and hired Holman as
housekeeper.

Within two days Holman had seduced Mr Williamson and the pair
became lovers.

Milton, who had been friends with Mr Williamson for over 14
years, also fell under Holman’s spell and became obsessed by her.

Soon Holman had started her scheme to fleece the wealthy
Australian.

She told Mr Williamson the Australian police were looking for
him and got Milton to back up the story.

Holman threatened to inform on him, but Mr Williamson had
nothing to hide and was unmoved.

Then she told him he was being threatened by Moslem extremists
and would have to pay them pnds stlg 75,000.

‘She told him unless he paid the money, people connected with
the mosque would take him to Leeds, torture him and his penis
might be cut off and he might never be seen again,’ said prosecu
tor Mr Malcom Fortune.

Fearing for his life, Mr Williamson transferred the money to
her.

By now the relationship was over, but Holman went with Mr
Williamson when he moved to Stanley Road, Mitcham, Surrey.

In late September a chance phone call to his bank uncovered
the letter forged by Milton.

It was signed by John Patterson – one of Williamson’s aliases
– of 995 Mountain Highway, Boronia, Victoria, Australia and
authorised the transfer of pnds stlg 150,000.

Mr Williamson called in the police and the pair were arrested.

Milton, of Hogarth Avenue, Ashford, claimed Mr Williamson owed
the pnds stlng 75,000 to Holman for her clearing his tax arrears
with Inland Revenue and denied making any threats.

Holman said the pnds stlng 75,000 was for a debt for her
efforts to ‘sort out his lifestyle’.

She said she loved Mr Williamson and had never made any
threats.

Holman denied blackmail, forging the letter and using it to
obtain property by deception between March and October last year
but was convicted by the jury.

Former postman Milton was convicted of forgery and deception
but cleared of blackmail.

Passing sentence the judge told Holman: You are a woman of
intelligence, ingenuity, resourcefulness and unparalleled powers
of deception.

‘I don’t think it was any accident that you came to be
employed by John Williamson.

‘I think you recognised him as a fruitful target whom you
could manipulate both by deceit and sexual blandishment.

‘Not long after you began your employment you practised upon
him a blackmail to extort from him a sum as large as pnds stlg
75,000 by threats which he must have found frightening.

‘Not content with that degradation, you went on to recruit
Bruce Milton to join you in forgery to the tune of pnds stlg
150,000, an enterprise in which very nearly suceeded.

‘
The judge told Milton: ‘You allowed yourself to become
besotted with this woman and dominated by her.

‘In your dotage you allowed yourself to be misled and you
engaged in that financial betrayal of someone who had been good
to you.

‘
ENDS