For five years, Laura insisted she was dying of cancer. Then came the 'diabolical' truth.

Laura McPherson, was dying of cancer.

At least, that's what she told her then-boyfriend, Jon Leonard, for five years.

It began in March 2017. McPherson, a mother from Derby, told Leonard she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy at the Royal Derby Hospital.

The 44-year-old businessman, whose company Ultra Events has raised nearly £40 million for cancer charities (around $82 million AUD), found himself in the devastating position of watching his partner seemingly battle the very disease his work helped fight.

As months passed by, her story grew more elaborate. The cancer had spread, now involving her colon and breasts. She needed specialised treatment abroad, she said, at the prestigious Mayr clinic in Austria.

Watch: Chanelle McAuliffe on what Belle Gibson has been doing since her scam was discovered. Post continues after video.

Leonard didn't hesitate to help. Over the next five years, he would transfer nearly £25,000 ($51,000 AUD) to McPherson for what he believed were life-saving medical procedures.

When he found a leading cancer specialist willing to help, McPherson demurred, saying she preferred the government's NHS treatment.

The deception was thorough.

McPherson told her daughter she had cancer but avoided detailed explanations. She sent Leonard text messages from supposed hospital beds.

On New Year's Eve 2021, he dropped her off for what he thought was treatment, waiting anxiously while she texted that she was "being hydrated".

But behind the scenes, a different reality was playing out. Leonard saw some of Laura's messages to the Austrian clinic, and they were about weight-loss therapy, not cancer treatment.

After this, the façade began to crumble.

"In January 2022, I became 99 per cent certain that my ex-partner, Laura McPherson, had been lying to everyone about having cancer since 2017," wrote Leonard on Instagram in March.

"I immediately moved out and, via my solicitor, asked her to provide proof of having cancer and gave her five months to move out of my house."

McPherson, however, declined to provide evidence, telling Leonard it was "disgusting" of him to suggest she was being deceitful.

"She then proceeded to start telling people she had dumped me because I was abusive towards her," he wrote.

"She was sent a solicitor's letter asking her to stop spreading lies. She replied saying she would stop, and she didn't.

"I tried talking to her family to ask them to speak to her, but they refused. I felt I was left with no option, but to have her arrested for fraud, so the truth would come out".

McPherson was arrested in November 2022. The police obtained her medical records via court order, which confirmed she had never had cancer, and was in perfect health.

While she initially denied the claims, when faced with the weight of evidence, McPherson ultimately pleaded guilty to fraud at Derby Crown Court.

On March 12, 2025, McPherson stood before Judge Jonathan Straw, who delivered a scathing assessment of her actions.

"Laura McPherson, you are a wicked and devious liar, who embarked on five years of deceit," Judge Straw told her.

"It is difficult to imagine how an individual could be so calculated and cruel to those who loved and cared for her."

For Leonard, the emotional damage far outweighed the financial loss. In his victim impact statement, the pain of betrayal was palpable.

"I honestly feel she has stolen years of my life from me," he told the court.

"She isolated me from my friends and family and, even since we separated, she has been spreading lies about me.

"Laura told her daughter she had cancer but would never sit down and explain this to her," Leonard continued.

The very fact that McPherson had a daughter came as a shock, as she claimed she'd had a hysterectomy, which Leonard provided money for.

"It turns out she was actually at a five-star spa instead of having the operation," Leonard said.

His concluding words in the courtroom captured the profound impact of McPherson's betrayal:

"The emotional toll this has had on me is difficult to explain. Her actions have been diabolical, almost everything she told me was a lie. I feel I was deceived in the cruellest way. She has destroyed my faith in humanity."

In her defence, however, Laura Pitman painted McPherson as a troubled woman dealing with anxiety and depression, rather than a calculated fraudster.

"One perhaps wonders why a young woman behaved in the way that she has," Pitman said.

"She feels awful for the way she behaved. She has sought outside support to look at her behaviour. There has been no further offending by her. There's a more constructive way Laura McPherson can be dealt with rather than custody."

The defence appeared to sway Judge Straw, who opted for rehabilitation over incarceration.

McPherson, now 35 and working at a café in Duffield, received a two-year community order with a 40-week curfew running from 7pm to 6am five days a week, plus 30 rehabilitation sessions.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will happen later this year, potentially stripping her of assets and cash.

Following the decision, Leonard shared a statement to his personal Instagram, expressing that it marked "the end of eight painful years".

"It's been a really tough few years, and I'm proud of myself for holding it together," he said.

"It's impossible to put into words the impact this has had on my mental wellbeing. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted today."

Leonard went on to say that he was "stuck in a controlling and abusive relationship" and felt he couldn't abandon McPherson as he believed her to be sick.

"I am honestly glad it's finally over. It's left an eight-year-long dent in my life and I am happy the truth is finally out.

"Time to start my life with an exciting year ahead surrounded by outstanding people. Let's go 2025."

Feature Image: Instagram/@jonleonard10