Betrayed: The Shropshire couple conned by fraudster friend

Wendy and Andrew Petford still do not know if they will ever see the thousands of pounds Tracey Pascall conned them out of.

And they are determined to appeal for her two-year prison sentence to be lengthened, having discovered she had a 20-year history of defrauding family and friends and had been in jail before.

Pascall even lied about having lung cancer, ditching her make-up and sunbed sessions and adopting a constant cough to stop her friends asking for their money back.

The devastating ordeal caused Mrs Petford to have a nervous breakdown and she was forced to leave her job as a staff trainer at a McDonald's in Shropshire.

Today the couple described the betrayal which cost them the £4,500 they had put aside for their daughter's wedding.

Mrs Petford, 47, of Apley, said of Pascall: "She had a very lavish lifestyle. I never saw her in the same clothes twice."

But Pascall told Mrs Petford bailiffs were at her door and asked to borrow £4,500 to pay them off. She told them she had £54,000 in a Post Office account but that she needed a month's notice to withdraw it – when she would pay them straight back

Pascall, of Brands Meadow, Muxton, began producing bank statements and solicitors letters to assure them the money was on its way. It was only when Mr Petford took one of the letters to Terry Jones solicitors in Newport that the full extent of the lies began to unravel.

"I went to see the solicitor and he said 'I've never heard of this woman. This letter is bogus I am going to have to call the police'," said Mr Petford.

"I came home in a state of shock," he added.

The devious fraudster even told her friends she had lung cancer to stop them from asking her for the money.

On Monday the couple watched as Pascall was jailed for two years at Shrewsbury Crown Court after admitting 19 dishonesty offences – including forging cheques from her own daughter.

It was revealed Pascall had a record of 13 dishonesty offences dating back to 1990.

Today the Petford's described why their two-year hell is not over.

They say they felt no closure from seeing Pascall sent down, as they begin to pick up the pieces after she wiped out their funds.

The mother-of-three was jailed in 2007 for spending more than £28,000 using her father, son and boyfriend's bank accounts.

Pascall's criminal history of defrauding family and friends in 13 offences which dated back to 1990 was revealed at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Mrs Petford met Pascall at Telford College of Arts and Technology more than 10 years ago when they studied teacher training together.

"We were brilliant friends but went our separate ways because we went to different universities," she said. "It wasn't until two years ago that she found me on Facebook and we arranged to meet up in a pub.

"She ordered a bottle of champagne and we got on really well again. We were at each other's houses every other day and I helped her with her floristry business.

"She had a very lavish lifestyle. I never saw her in the same clothes twice.

"She had about 200 nail varnishes and matching lipsticks, everything was expensive and she had about 300 pairs of shoes."

About four months later Pascall told Mrs Petford bailiffs were at her door and asked to borrow £4,500 to pay them off.

"I said I can lend it to you but how soon can you pay it back?" said Mrs Petford.

"She showed me a letter from her post office account saying she had £54,000 in there but needed to give a month's notice to withdraw it, so we agreed she would pay us back in 28 days."

Mr Petford added: "We had no reason to dispute what she was saying. The documents she showed us made us believe there was some truth in it. But as time went on the excuses got more ridiculous.

"When she said she had cancer, straight away we thought we are going to have to hold back until she's sorted her health out.

"If ever we mentioned the money she would say I've got to go, the Macmillan nurses are coming round."

Mrs Petford said: "She started not putting make-up on, she looked so poorly and I felt awful for her.

"She said I am so sorry you've had to go through all this. I will give you £10,000 back, you deserve it. I didn't want £10,000, I just wanted what she owed us.

"It was savings towards our daughter's wedding and to go away for our anniversary.

"In the end we had to just give her the best wedding we could with the money we had. It was hell. I was having a nervous breakdown. I was on the sick for that long and I've never felt ready to go back."

On Monday as Pascall was jailed for two years at Shrewsbury Crown Court, Judge Barry Berlin said: "It was persistent and it was motivated by greed. It was also in breach of the trust that your friends and family put in you."

Mr Petford said: "We are going to appeal the sentence. I think she didn't have the full weight of the law thrown against her."

Mrs Petford added: "It seems so unfair. The judge said three years and then dropped it down to two years and then said she would be out in one – that's no deterrent.

"Even in court there was no sorry. She destroyed me, she almost destroyed my marriage and our family. She needs some help. We both feel so sorry for her family."

EXCLUSIVE by Jennifer Meierhans