Claire Alderton: ‘Abhorrent’ woman faked cancer diagnosis and defrauded charity in honour of child who fought the disease

A woman who defrauded a charity by fabricating job references and then claiming she had been diagnosed with cancer to evade her duty has been jailed for two years.

Claire Alderton, 48, from Portsmouth, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court after admitting fraud by false representation.

He had dishonestly submitted two fabricated references, including using fake emails, to obtain a position at the charity George’s Rockstars.

Alderton was cited for charity and charity fundraising in June 2024 for using these deceptive methods.

During his time in office, he further deceived the organization by falsely claiming to have submitted vital grant applications, an essential part of his role.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “In December 2024 Alderton told his employer he had been diagnosed with cancer and had stopped attending work, after which he stopped responding to any communications from the charity.

“The charity contacted the foundation from which Alderton said it had received a grant, but discovered no application had been made.

“They then contacted Alderton’s referees via LinkedIn and the referee informed them that they had not written down the references he had provided and that emails purporting to be from them were fake.”

Amy O’Shaughnessy, who co-founded the charity after losing her son George to Leukemia in 2019, said: “Targeting charities, gaining employment by deception and fabricating a cancer diagnosis for the mother and founder of an organization set up in memory of a child who bravely fought this disease is truly disgusting.

“In addition, forging applications for funding to support seriously ill children in hospitals is a profound betrayal of the public trust.

“George’s Rockstars was created to preserve my son’s legacy and provide music therapy to families recovering from their darkest moments in hospitals.

“While our services are in high demand, I have had to work tirelessly to prevent his legacy from being ruined by his fraudulent actions.

“Despite the seriousness of this scam, we have fought incredibly hard to ensure our support for children and families remains uninterrupted.

“For me personally, it has been emotionally devastating to uncover the depth of these lies. He deserves at least a prison sentence for exploiting the charity industry and the vulnerabilities of a bereaved family.

“We are deeply grateful to the police and justice system for their meticulous work in ensuring accountability and securing this conviction.”

Pc Emma Thomas, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Central Fraud Unit, said: “I am pleased with this outcome and to see Alderton put behind bars for his actions.

“Knowingly and deliberately targeting the charity sector for personal gain is a horrific crime and one that Alderton deserves to face justice.

“His actions have caused both financial and emotional pain, and I hope prison will give him time to consider the consequences of his choices.”