A woman who forged a paternity test lies to her father and lies to her ex-partner, avoiding jail time.
Beth Fernley, 26, told Ryan Hampson in April 2019 that he was pregnant and was unsure who the baby’s father was, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Fernley, Wroxham Road, Warrington, pleaded guilty to false representation at a hearing last month.
She was sentenced to 13 months in prison and was suspended for 18 months.
Ryan Hampson says he learned the child is not his [PA Media]
Prosecutor Gareth Roberts told the court how Fernley asked Mr Hampson about £300 for DNA testing and then sent him a screenshot of her claim from EasyDna and showed a 99.9% chance of he being a father.
Mr Roberts said the documents were later confirmed to have been forged.
Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary’s voice recorder sentencing said: “This is a particularly terrible crime that has had a profound impact on many people, including Mr Hampson himself and his large family members.
“Whether it stems from some kind of worry, because you find yourself pregnant with someone who is not your partner, or because you desire to create some kind of perfect family, it’s hard for me to understand.”
He said she continued to deny that she had lied to “sincerely dishonestly” when the police were involved.
Fenley is suspended at Liverpool Crown Court [Geograph/Mat Fascione]
Mr Roberts said Mr Hampson purchased items for the unborn baby after showing him the results of the forged DNA and regained a relationship with Fernley, who had been with him for four years before they broke up in early 2019.
He was in the birth certificate for baby and bought a house with Fernley in 2020.
The court heard she later forged another letter claiming that the company had made a mistake and that he was not his father.
When Mr Hampson contacted the company, he was told they had no test records.
Roberts said he contacted police in July 2022 and Fairley was arrested.
Hampson, 27, read a statement to the court said he felt “deep sadness, confusion and heartbroken” after learning that the child he “has “build a strong bond” with him” was not his child.
He said: “My whole world collapsed.
“It’s unbearable that people ask me about my daughter’s emotional pain, which brings a wave of sorrow and sorrow that I can’t control.”
Tom Worsfold defended, he said Fernley showed insight into the impact of crime and “proves that she accepted the words that played God as wrong.”
Fairley was ordered to perform 10 days of rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay compensation for £300 and statutory surcharges.
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