Bride-to-be who ran off with fiance’s stag party funds is spared jail

A bride-to-be who stole £11,160 in stag party cash from her fiancé and his friends after faking the flight documents has been spared jail.

Rachel Doran, 32, waved 29-year-old Chris Mahone off with a kiss at Leeds Bradford airport as he and 30 of his closest pals set off for Ibiza.

But they had no idea Doran, who had collected the £360 from each person for the three-day trip, had forged the Jet2.com booking confirmation forms and pocketed the cash.

The trip in September 2017 was supposed to have been just 10 days before they were due to be married.

Doran admitted theft and fraud at Carlisle Crown Court and was handed a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to complete 240 hours’ unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days as well as pay £3,600 compensation to be split between each member of the stag party.

Judge Nicholas Barker told her: ‘On the face of it you have acted in a deceitful and callous way. You must have known the theft would be found out and the world would come falling down around you.

‘You did all this at a time you were preparing for your marriage.’

Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson said Doran and Mr Mahone had known each other since school and he proposed two years earlier in September 2015.

The said the groom and his friends met up at Cleator Moor Celtic FC clubhouse for drinks before the midnight transfer to Leeds Bradford Airport.

But on arrival at the airport at 5am they discovered the flights and hotel had not been booked.

Mr Rogerson said: ‘It was then it dawned on Mr Mahone what was going on and he realised no bookings were made.

‘Paperwork was produced including a Jet2 confirmation form. When it was looked at it became clear it was a fake document.’

The court heard Mr Mahone tried to ring Doran but she did not answer. She rang back later ‘wanting to talk’ but was told to ‘leave him alone and he wanted nothing to do with her’.

In a victim impact statement Mr Mahone said: ‘The whole experience has left me embarrassed. I trusted her, I loved her at the time and put all of my trust in her. I’ve lost confidence, I find it difficult to talk to women because I’m scared of getting hurt.

‘I feel sorry Rachel took others’ hard-earned money too.’

Kim Whittlestone, defending, said Doran suffered three miscarriages in 14 months.

‘The impact on her mental health was significant,’ Ms Whittlestone said.

‘It’s clear they did have an impact on her state of mind. One can only assume as a result of these pressures she behaved in the way she did.’

She said Doran did not set out to steal but began dipping into the stag do fund, later applying for loans and gambling to try and claw the money back.

Ms Whittlestone said Doran has been ‘shamed’ and targeted in her community following the scam and had left her home to go and live in a hostel.

She added that her family and friends had ‘washed their hands of her’ and she had tried to take her own life.

Ms Whittlestone told the court: ‘This is a devastating case for all involved.’