A ‘heartless’ student who ruined
her female lecturer’s life by faking terminal cancer and manipulating her until
she lost her marriage, home and job has been jailed for two years.
Elisa Bianco, 22, conned Sally
Retallack, 49, into believing she was about to die, caused an irreparable rift
with her husband Ralph and then posed as a man who seduced her online as she
seized control of her victim’s life.
Retallack, 49, into believing she was about to die, caused an irreparable rift
with her husband Ralph and then posed as a man who seduced her online as she
seized control of her victim’s life.
Bianco met the mother-of-four on a
college course and realising her tutor was trusting the connived herself into
her home by claiming she had three months to live and nowhere to go because she
was abused.
college course and realising her tutor was trusting the connived herself into
her home by claiming she had three months to live and nowhere to go because she
was abused.
The student faked a terminal
kidney tumour and Mrs Retallack helped her fulfil her ‘bucket list’, which
included expensive gifts, trips and a ‘goodbye’ birthday party for friends to
say farewell before she died, Truro Crown Court heard.
kidney tumour and Mrs Retallack helped her fulfil her ‘bucket list’, which
included expensive gifts, trips and a ‘goodbye’ birthday party for friends to
say farewell before she died, Truro Crown Court heard.
Bianco would be dropped off at
hospital every day – and even pretended she had her kidney removed – but would
just sit in a cafe in her pyjamas and dress herself in bandages.
hospital every day – and even pretended she had her kidney removed – but would
just sit in a cafe in her pyjamas and dress herself in bandages.
But her lies were exposed when Mrs
Retallack, who gave up work to nurse her through her final days, came to
surprise her at the Royal Cornwall Hospital but nobody on the renal ward had
ever heard of her.
Retallack, who gave up work to nurse her through her final days, came to
surprise her at the Royal Cornwall Hospital but nobody on the renal ward had
ever heard of her.
Bianco pleaded guilty to stalking,
causing serious alarm or distress on Friday and was jailed for two years and
eight months.
causing serious alarm or distress on Friday and was jailed for two years and
eight months.
Explaining the extraordinary
betrayal the court heard how Bianco became an ‘uninvited cuckoo’ in the home
and used mind games to drive a wedge between Sally and her husband – which
eventually saw them split, the court heard.
betrayal the court heard how Bianco became an ‘uninvited cuckoo’ in the home
and used mind games to drive a wedge between Sally and her husband – which
eventually saw them split, the court heard.
Bianco then set Sally up with a
‘recently widowed’ consultant physician ‘John’ – who was actually her using a
‘husky’ voice and fake email address.
‘recently widowed’ consultant physician ‘John’ – who was actually her using a
‘husky’ voice and fake email address.
Sally and ‘John’ became close –
exchanging intimate emails – but Bianco invented a cancer diagnosis for the
internet lover and killed him off before they could meet.
exchanging intimate emails – but Bianco invented a cancer diagnosis for the
internet lover and killed him off before they could meet.
Her victim’s life has been left in
tatters and she has now moved to France, the court heard.
tatters and she has now moved to France, the court heard.
Jailing her judge Christopher
Harvey Clark QC said: ‘It is a strange but very disturbing case.
Harvey Clark QC said: ‘It is a strange but very disturbing case.
‘I can truthfully say it is the
most extraordinary case I have had to deal with in a long time.
most extraordinary case I have had to deal with in a long time.
‘You were like an uninvited cuckoo
fledgling in the nest of a willow warbler – an unexpected offspring demanding
to receive constant attention.
fledgling in the nest of a willow warbler – an unexpected offspring demanding
to receive constant attention.
‘Most chilling was the callous and
cruel deception to create a fictitious hospital consultant.
cruel deception to create a fictitious hospital consultant.
‘You heartlessly manipulated Mrs
Retallack’s deepest emotions. No sentence will compensate her,’ the judge said.
Retallack’s deepest emotions. No sentence will compensate her,’ the judge said.
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