Nicole Elkabbas: Fake cancer woman faced charity fraud claims

Nicole Elkabbas "tricked" people into donating money by claiming to have ovarian cancer in 2018

A woman who faked cancer to raise £45,000 in donations also faced fraud claims over a charity event she hosted.

Nicole Elkabbas will be sentenced this week, having been convicted of running a fraudulent crowdfunding campaign in 2018.

But allegations of fraud linked to a boxing gala in Margate, Kent - which made no money for the charity - were also made to police, the BBC has found.

Elkabbas, 42, denies wrongdoing and says the event did not make a profit.

In May 2017, she organised and hosted a boxing gala dinner in aid of a charity that supports isolated older people in Broadstairs, Kent.

But Broadstairs Town Team told the BBC that it did not receive any money, despite Elkabass publicly stating the event raised more than £10,000.

It said it was "very disappointing to be promised funds and then not receive them," adding that it had "provided all relevant information to the police".

Elkabbas was told she faces a custodial sentence

Former professional boxer Daryl Setterfield said he fought at the event without charging a fee, believing it was in support of a good cause.

He felt "shocked" and "cheated" to learn the charity did not receive any money, he said.

He had agreed to take part at short notice after Elkabbas said other boxers had pulled out, which left him with little time to train and increased the risk of injury, he said.

"We go in cautious to every bout, but if it's for a good cause you go down and do your best."

Elkabbas claimed to have raised £10,000

Footage of the event shows suited attendees watching boxers go head-to-head at the Grade II listed Winter Gardens, which sits within Margate's chalk cliffs.

In a professionally-made promotional video, Elkabbas said she was inspired to raise money after she "lost mobility" in her legs in a "very serious road incident".

Gianluca Di Caro, vice president of the British and Irish Boxing Authority, helped find fighters and officials for the event after being told by Elkabbas that she had been let down at the last minute.

"With two days' notice, we jumped in and helped her," he said. "We did it for free, it was for charity."

Winter Gardens did not disclose if they charged to host the event.

The gala was held at the Grade II listed Winter Gardens on Margate's seafront

Kent Police said that in April 2019, shortly after Elkabbas was charged with the online fundraising fraud, it received an allegation of fraud dating back to May 2017.

However, it said that it took no further action because it was "deemed disproportionate to carry out further inquiries when the new allegation was unlikely to have resulted in any differences to the level of sentence imposed on the suspect upon conviction".

It added: "A review of the suspect's finances revealed there was also little prospect of the victim receiving any of the money that was reportedly owed to them."

The charity runs the Broadstairs Town Shed, a woodworking project for older people

Elkabbas has been told to expect a custodial sentence on Friday after her fraud trial in November heard she "tricked" people into donating money, claiming it would be used to pay for private treatment for ovarian cancer.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that Elkabbas had spent almost £60,000 on gambling in 2017 and a further £8,000 in 2018.

Elkabbas, who said she was struggling with a gambling addiction at the time, said the charity event did not make a profit due to poor ticket sales.

"It actually ended in a large loss, but only at a cost to my family," she said.

She said that "anyone that supplies [sic] or helped with the event were all paid".