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A teacher pretended she had CANCER to pocket a £19,000 windfall from kind-hearted charity donors.

Keera Brayford even lied to close family and friends, claiming she had THREE types of tumours which were growing and likely to kill her.

The 25-year-old hoodwinked relatives and pals, describing how she was undergoing aggressive chemotherapy which was also making her feel very sick.

She made internet Google searches on “how to defraud an employer” as part of her complex ruse, the court heard.

Charity fundraising efforts were organised to help her and one man even planned to jump out of a plane to get her more cash.

(Image: Liverpool ECHO)

After months of deceit, Brayford was finally caught and arrested by police, leaving those who knew her astonished by her dishonesty.

The Whiston woman was charged with fraud by representation and pleaded guilty to all the offences in front of city magistrates.

Today, Brayford avoided jail after a judge described her behaviour as “despicable” but suspended her prison sentence, meaning she walked free with a curfew and an electronic tag.

Were you conned by Keera Brayford? Email luke.traynor@reachplc.com

(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)

Tens of thousands of pounds were raised on a JustGiving website, with Brayford keeping her story secret for months on end.

Brayford was eventually caught out by staff at the Thomas Sutton Academy in St Helens who suspected she was faking some medical notes.

When finally confronted and admitting her lies to detectives, she explained her fraudulent ruse began because she was finding it difficult to get time off to go and get a test for sexually transmitted diseases.

The JustGiving website was set up under the headline: "Cancer does not have a face until it's yours or someone you know."

Keera's bogus story on JustGiving in full We are racing against the clock Keera was diagnosed with 3 types of skin cancer and has 3 tumours of muscular cancer (soft tissue carcinoma) all in the abdominal area In Nov 17. Unfortunately all cancers are inoperable at the moment at their current size, and are also growing and spreading. Keera is a 25 year old female who always puts other before herself. Helps others and She never asks for anything in return or any help. However now is the time to help If you can. Keera is a secondary school teacher, who puts her all into everything, and no matter how sick she is she still always puts others before herself.

Keera is not responding to chemotherapy like she should be and doctora are trying different types of chemotherapy drugs in different varieties and dosages, hoping somthing will work, however the ‘alternative’ treatments would be Keera’s best chance.

chemotherapy is making Keera very ill, and affecting her other illnesses.

To name a few alternative treatments: Biological treatments, metabolic treatments, immunotherapy, Dendeitic cell vaccines, intravenous vitamin C ....

Treatments will be ones not available on the nhs, which are stonger than chemotherapy but are not as harsh on the body. Treatments are ones recommended by Keera’s oncologist but to get the treatments, we need to raise enough money. Keera was diagnosed with cancer in Nov 17. Keera is battling cancer and going through chemotherapy, whilst still trying to raise money for others and not complaining once. Keera also deals with having, diabetes, a heart condition, fibromyalgia, arthritis, osteo arthritis, rhuemtoid arthritis, osetopoeosis. Plantar fascititis, shin splints, 2 curvatures of the spine. A twisted spine, osteo condensans illi, folliculitis, restless leg syndrome, AF, IBS And more. She deals with all this and still keeps a smile on her face and helps others, and puts others ahead of herself always.

Please help if you can and spread the word. Much love to you all.

Mandy Nepal, prosecuting, said Brayford invented doctors’ names who she claimed were dealing with her, and set up the JustGiving page, initially, to get cash to provide “breathing space.”

The former teacher told friends she had undergone bouts of chemotherapy, and said she was looking into alternative treatments as traditional methods to beat the supposed cancer had not worked.

(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)

In total, £19,000 was swindled, with £10,000 still with JustGiving and unspent, but another £9,000 used to pay off some of her debts.

She claimed she had fatal illnesses which meant “she was not going to live long” and used some of the fundraised cash on clothes, and payments to the Very.co.uk female fashion store.

Brayford even hoodwinked her mum and dad, who attended Liverpool Crown Court today, in support of their daughter.

Keera's response to the donations Me and my famil ywould like to say a huge thankyou to all who have supported us through this hard time, we are so grateful. Hopefully I will get my treatments soon and fingerscrossed be on the mend. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts

She concocted a MacMillan cancer letter, invented a doctor’s name and email addresses to try and provide proof of her illness, with one email being traced back to Edinburgh and an animal biology department.

In September, police attended her home address, where she still persisted with her lies, informing detectives that her skin cancer had “spread to her muscles and her torso,” and that she had started fundraising for money to finance alternative treatments.

Brayford described suspicions from staff at her ex-St Helens school were “malicious and not true.”

(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)

But she was arrested days later and it was revealed she’d been suspended by the school and quit her job over the falsification of medical notes.

Finally, Brayford, of Cedar Road, Whiston, admitted pretending she had cancer, but told police she was still ill and was in constant pain.

When detectives showed her evidence from the NHS she had NEVER had cancer, she confessed to the full details of the fraud.

(Image: Liverpool ECHO)

Brayford admitted no chemo had been undertaken, she was not under any duress or pressure, conceding, “it all got a bit much”, when her fraud gathered pace and was in full swing.

Some of the fundraised cash was used to pay off her credit card bills, it was heard, and the defendant, who attended court on crutches, still believes she is suffering from a mystery illness and had carried out lots of internet research to try and prove her point.

(Image: Liverpool ECHO)

Recorder Kate Cornell said: “This is a pretty sophisticated fraud on the goodwill of the public...she knew full well she wasn’t getting chemo, and yet she asked for money for that treatment...she lied to family and friends as well.”

It was added that ‘“vulnerable” Brayford had a “troubled history”, has previously tried to harm herself and is scheduled to undergo an ultrasound appointment tomorrow from an “auto immune” type of disease.

Defending, Amy Butler said: “She is extremely remorseful...she will never be able to work as a teacher again. She is devastated that she finds herself in this position”

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Recorder Cornell told her: "Generous people, genuinely believed in your plight...this was a sophisticated fraud….you forged letters and sick notes from doctors.

“You made heartfelt pleas on websites....you set up a false email account..

"It was all a lie...you maintained this to your colleagues at work, even your friends and family.

“Your parents believed you were attending appointments at the Lilac Centre… (an onocology day unit)...of course you were not.

“You were all the while googling how to forge medical notes...instead you turned to fraud, misleading innocent people donating to you out of the goodness of their hearts.

“You have behaved despicably...people were misled in the cruellest way..”

Brayford was handed a two year sentence, suspended for two years, and must complete 35 rehabilitation days.

She must keep a curfew, meaning she must be indoors between the hours 7pm to 6am.

She will also wear an electronic tag for a year.