Woman in £35,000 Hollywood Scam Receives Tagging Order

A woman who defrauded her family in a £35,000 Hollywood acting scheme has been issued a 10-month tagging order. Ann Dunlop, 69, asserted that her daughter, Heather Dunlop, 40, was on the verge of securing million-pound contracts and interacting with celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio and Beyonce. Dunlop persuaded her brother, David Bunton, to provide her daughter with money to facilitate her entry into the film industry. Last year, she was convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court for defrauding her family of a total of £35,368. Separately, Heather Dunlop received an eight-month jail sentence last week after admitting guilt to a comparable offense. Ann Dunlop additionally requested her sister, Jean Allan, and Jean’s husband, Steven Allan, to cover her and Heather’s gas and council tax expenses, citing insufficient funds. The court was informed during the trial that Heather Dunlop, who also used the name Heather Cameron, had appeared in a non-speaking capacity in a BBC period drama and a television program featuring comedian Noel Fielding. David Bunton, who serves as a chief executive of a life science company, was approached by Ann and Heather Dunlop in March 2016 following the sale of his business. He provided £5,000 to the two individuals, formerly residents of Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, with the stated purpose of helping the actress to “build her career.” Mr. Bunton testified in court that Ann Dunlop had informed him Heather Dunlop was being represented in Hollywood, and there were discussions about her meeting Beyonce and Jay Z, as well as creating films with Quentin Tarantino and Michael Keaton. The family was also informed that Heather Dunlop was slated to star in a cinematic adaptation of the musical Wicked, directed by Tim Burton, and that she was collaborating with the fashion house Chanel. Mr. Bunton subsequently provided an additional £27,000 to the pair after learning that Ann Dunlop and her husband, who resided with them, were “struggling.” He also covered their council tax and gas bills, with a promise of reimbursement. Repayment was not made, and his suspicions intensified when Heather Dunlop did not appear in a Chanel Christmas advertisement in 2016. Subsequently, he engaged a private investigator, who examined the assertions and verified that they had minimal foundation. Steven Allan, 67, Ann Dunlop’s brother-in-law, stated that he believed Ann and Heather Dunlop were leading an extravagant lifestyle in London. During last week’s hearing, it was disclosed that 10% of the funds had been reimbursed to the victims. Sheriff Vincent Lunny placed Ann Dunlop under a restriction of liberty order, indicating he was stepping back “only just” from imposing a custodial sentence. The sheriff informed the hearing that Dunlop, who resides in Margate, Kent, must secure a Scottish address to receive a tag, or she risks imprisonment, similar to her daughter. Neil Stewart, Dunlop’s lawyer, stated that she would reside with her mother. He also mentioned that she had inflicted “significant” stress upon her family.