Midcheshire Independent Issue 185

3 JULY2025 Visitourwebsite: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk A MAN who described himself as Cheshire’s veryownKardashianhas pleaded guilty to fraud and theft. JackWatkin, 26, formerly ofWilmslowRoad,Alderley Edge, fundedhis fantasyIns- tagram influencer lifestyleby defrauding businesses and individuals to a total value ofmore than£200,000. WatkinappearedatChes- terCrownCourtonTuesday June 24where he pleaded guiltytoeightcountsof fraud by false representation. Hewas remanded in cus- tody and is set to be sen- tenced for the fraud and indecent images offences on WednesdaySeptember 3 at ChesterCrownCourt. The courtheardhowWat- kinused the lureofdesigner handbag brandHermes as a ruse to trick people into giving him the money he needed to affordhis extrav- agant lifestyle. Thesought-afterhandbags can’t be purchased over the counter.Youmustbe invited to buy aHermes handbag, whichmakes it a lucrative investment as the resale value can be much higher than theoriginalprice. The victimswere told by Watkin thathehad the con- tacts that could give them access to thehandbags and that theycouldsplit theprof- itsmadeon resale. They handed over their money ingood faith,butwhen NEWS INBRIEF MACC-POW!Macclesfield’s ComicArtFestival returned for its10thanniversary yearwitha fullweekend celebratingcomicsand comicart.Theevent includeda fulldayof workshopswithguest creators. POLICE fromMacclesfield andNorthwichLocal PolicingUnitshavebeen out in force to tackle parkingandanti-social behaviour issues in Pickmere.Theysay they areworkingcloselywith thecouncil to introduce additionalparking restrictions in thearea, to helpminimisesomeof the disruption. CHESHIREEastCouncil hasannounced the launch of fournewcommunity grantprogrammes designed toempower local organisations,strengthen neighbourhoods,and supportpeople through challenging times. THISyear’sWilmslowWells forAfricaGardensDayhas raisedmore than£20,000. Visitorsenjoyed18gardens ondisplay inWilmslow, AlderleyEdge,Mobberley andMottramStAndrew. Thecashwillbeused to provide freshwater,hygiene andsanitation insomeof thepoorestareasofAfrica. MACCLESFIELDCouncil is looking toappointa public realmsteward to helpkeep the towncentre clean,safeandwelcoming. Thepart-time job isanew rolebeingpilotedby the council for12months. Self-proclaimed ‘Kardashian of Cheshire’ admits fraud Handbag fraudster:Asocialmedia imageofJackWatkin (Photocredit:CheshirePolice) Guiltypleas:JackWatkin (Photocredit:CheshirePolice) no bag or sign of anymoney fromthe investmentopportu- nityarose, theywouldbegin to ask for theirmoney back, buthealwayshadexcuses. Heduped onewoman into handing over thousands thinking shewas investing in themuchsoughtafter lux- uryhandbagwhen shewas in factpayinghisbillsat the DorchesterHotel inLondon. She, like the othersnever received the handbags or their share in the profits of their resale. An investigation was launched after thewoman contacted theMetropolitan Police in 2022 when she becamesuspiciousofWatkin’s continuedexcuses. The case was subse- quently referred toCheshire Constabulary’s Economic CrimeUnit,who launched a full investigation. Its enquiries unearthed a string of victims and a breath-taking amount of lux- urygoods,andhotelbills that Watkin’saffordedbyswindling hissixvictims. During the investigation detectivesalso found indecent images onhismobile phone. Hewas foundguiltyatapre- vioushearing for possession of indecent images, extreme pornography and prohib- ited images. Speaking after the latest courthearing,DetectiveCon- stableGarethYates,ofChesh- ireConstabulary’sEconomic CrimeUnit, said: “Watkin’s victims lost thousands and forsome, theirreputationwas negativelyaffectedwhendeals were unable to be honoured because of Watkin’s crimi- nalenterprise. “Watkin deluded himself thathewas a successful rich kid influencer, but in reality, hewas stealingmoney from wealthy individuals under the guise of ‘business oppor- tunities’ to fund his expen- sivehabit of fast cars, luxury goods, includingVersacecrock- ery, and designer footwear and clothing. “Itwasnever going to end well, and his downfall was inevitable. Eventually his lies caughtupwithhim and he is now facing the conse- quences of his deceit, and hisperversions.” SPECIALREPORT