Fake celebrity chef jailed for conning girlfriend out of hundreds of pounds
A bogus celebrity chef from Winterton swindled a hairdresser after promising they would start a new life together in a £1 million home.
Serial conman Kenneth Goldsmith had just been released from prison and was living in a hostel, but convinced victim Joanne Williams he was an international businessman and catering consultant.
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Serial conman: Kenneth Goldsmith
He claimed to be setting up an exclusive restaurant and to be a gold dealer who owned properties in Britain and abroad.
He persuaded Mrs Williams to allow him to take over the running of her finances but he looted her bank accounts of £737.36 and left her owing arrears on her mortgage, Exeter Crown Court was told.
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Goldsmith, 42, had just come out of jail for a swindle in which he claimed to be a celebrity chef who was a friend of Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Kenneth Hom.
He was so plausible he even managed to talk his way on to appearing on the TV shows Saturday Kitchen and UKTV Food.
In reality, he had learned to cook in prison kitchens while serving three different sentences totalling 12 years for previous frauds.
Goldsmith, formerly of Low Street, Winterton, and latterly of Pinhoe Road, Exeter, admitted ten frauds and was jailed for 28 days by Judge Phillip Wassall at Exeter Crown Court.
The judge said the sentence would have been in the region of 28 to 30 months.
But he said he had to take into account that Goldsmith has already spent 16 months in jail since his arrest – the equivalent of a 32 month sentence – after being recalled to serve the rest of a three-and-a-half year sentence handed down in 2009 for 20 charges of fraud, one of theft and one of disposing of criminal property.
He told him: "You are a committed fraudster.
"You have done it before and received long sentences in the past.
"The hurt you have caused when you deceived someone into believing you were a man of means, a chef, and a gold dealer is great."
Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said Goldsmith was released half-way through his previous three and a half year sentence and moved to a hostel in Exeter.
He said that Mrs Williams, who was living next door to Goldsmith, knew he had been to prison – but was still deceived into believing he was a chef who had his own restaurant in Exeter.
"He moved in with her, initially as a lodger, and they started a relationship in which he persuaded her to entrust her entire financial affairs with him," he said.
"He said he would buy her a property for just under £1 million."
But Mr Crabb said she later became suspicious about his claims and he left.
David Maunder, defending, said there was evidence Goldsmith may suffer from bi-polar disorder.
Comments
by thewitrandry
Monday, July 02 2012, 7:49AM
“well ,I didn't expect that as my dessert. Almost bought a lump to my throat.”
by kenthechef
Saturday, June 30 2012, 5:53PM
“Thanks for you lovely comments,i was released from prison a day after this story !
half of which are total fabrications ! thanks to the phone hacking british media,THE SUN
i have been labelled a "fake celebrity chef" i went to prison in 1990 for a 7 year sentence
for operation bumblebee ,as a money launderer ! for which i regretted alot ,
then spent 2 years on remand for the "essex boy" murders ! for which i was found "not quilty"
whist i was in prison , i leant a trade,which i thought would help me gain employment
and start a brighter future ! i left in 1997,and started to cook for major hotels in london
and europe ! in 13 years i worked really hard and thought i had put all the past ****
behind me ! i was flying high ! employed the uk,s biggest tour operator As a Executive Chef and started
my own businesses till i met some investors,who got greedy ,and found out about my past
and ended up in prison for the recent 4 year sentence,! then i met the new love of my
life "joanne williams" a lady who needed support and my financial support,i knew her
for 8 weeks and payed her 16 k debts and bills and when the programme on ITV called cheats and scams was released, all hell broke out ! i decided to leave because of people,****ging me
off about my old crimes ! then i was recalled to prison for "28 days" but spent 17 months
to be brought to court for the judge "saying i should only have been in custody for 28 days
in total ! since leaving prison this week ,i have been told i will be payed £104.00 per day
that 47k for unlawfull imprisonment !and also found out by my bank that the victim of this
so-called recent of of £740.00 had taken monies from my savings for 10 months,while
i was waiting to go the court !
i have signed a publishing deal with a main publisher,to talk about my past times and crimes,
"for the monies that i will receive from HM Home Office , i will donate to the "VICTIMS OF CRIME" Thank you for reading this statement ! kenneth goldsmith june 2012”
by thewitrandry
Monday, June 18 2012, 10:31PM
“wonder what he will cook up next time”
by Mr_Bridger
Monday, June 18 2012, 1:05PM
“Whilst I feel for the lady in this story I can't help thinking that these people play on the gulability of a lot in society. It seems common sense and warryness of a con goes out the window in favour of the chance of making a few bob. The same goes with all the internet scams people fall for. The old adage of "it if seems to good to be true, it probably is" applies in both cases.”
by gordonio
Monday, June 18 2012, 11:57AM
“This is a human interest story nick_nick_, there are probably people out there who may have gone to school with Kenneth, or worked with him, or maybe he conned them too!”
by nick_nick_
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:49AM
“"formerly of Low Street, Winterton, and latterly of Pinhoe Road, Exeter"”
by gordonio
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:36AM
“The clue is in the first paragraph nick_nick_ , the last time I looked at a map Winterton was in close proximity to Scunny!”
by nick_nick_
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:10AM
“how is this scunthorpe news?”
by thisisjukebox
Sunday, June 17 2012, 9:12PM
“"Catch Me If You Can," North Lincolnshire style..
@thisisjukebox”
by Hunky_n_Funky
Saturday, June 16 2012, 12:58PM
“Reported:
Jailed for 28 days! The judge said the sentence would have been in the region of 28 to 30 months. But he said he had to take into account that Goldsmith has already spent 16 months in jail since his arrest – the equivalent of a 32 month sentence – after being recalled to serve the rest of a three-and-a-half year sentence handed down in 2009.
I've previously stated my objection on this website, to convicts being allowed to serve concurrent sentences. In my opinion, an offender should serve time for each crime, and not get the offer of 'serve one sentence, get several free'! There's simply so little deterrent in our current system.”