Another chance for high-life con woman

12:00pm Friday 10th October 2008

DEBT dodger Joanna Pickles has again escaped time in prison – despite not completing community service.

The Swindon 21-year-old and three pals ran up thousands of pounds’ worth of bills when she stayed at swanky hotels, including Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, and then skipped out without paying.

Last year, at Oxford Crown Court, she was told to do 250 hours of community service after being convicted of the offences.

But she failed to comply with the order twice before and was told in January do an extra seven hours and put on a curfew in July.

Now she has failed on the sentence for a third time, after failing to turn up to do unpaid work the day after her birthday in August.

Chris Smyth, defending, told Swindon Crown Court: “She is candid with the court: it is no coincidence that her 21st birthday was the day before.”

Despite the earlier breaches he asked the court to allow her to continue on the order, which he said still had 75 hours to run.

Judge Douglas Field extended it by three months to give Pickles, of Saltash Road, Churchward, until February to finish the work and added seven hours.

And he warned her “You must make sure that you turn up and do this work as another breach could see you end up in custody.”

The four con artists quaffed champagne and fine red wine at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, the base for the chef’s show The Restaurant.

As well as failing to pay the £3,500 bill at the celebrity chef’s exclusive hotel they also enjoyed the high life when they visited the five star The Vineyard, near Newbury.

As well as knocking back expensive wine and fizz they had fish and chips at the hotel, which bills itself as ‘The ultimate destination hotel for anyone with a passion for fine wine and Michelin-starred food’.

Again the guests failed to pay the £3,700 bill and Pickles was convicted of two counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception when she appeared before a court in Oxford.