The six-foot, 13-stone sex swap trickster who convinced a bank she was 5ft 5in, 8-stone super-celebrity Katie Price
WITH business interests as diverse as lingerie and children’s books – plus, of course, that famous surgically enhanced figure – Katie Price must be one of the most recognisable women in Britain. But that wasn’t enough to stop bank cashiers mistaking a 13-stone, 6ft transsexual for the former glamour model.
Kerry Marshall, who was born a man but now lives as a woman, put on a blonde wig and sunglasses and tricked bank staff into believing she was eight- stone, 5ft 5in Miss Price.
Cashiers at HSBC in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, handed over £1,000 from an account in the name of Miss Price’s son.
Days later, they fell for the disguise again and let Marshall withdraw another £1,500.
The 18-year- old, described in court as ‘ obsessed’ with the woman formerly known as Jordan, then went on a week-long spending spree, splashing out on items including a Mazda MX-5 sports car for £9,000 and a Pandora bracelet f or £ 600. Her extravagance only came to an end when HSBC staff at another branch in Nottingham refused to allow £13,425 to be transferred out of Miss Price’s account.
Before the thefts, Marshall had reported Miss Price’s bank card as stolen and persuaded HSBC to send a replacement to the Sleaford branch, even though Miss Price lives more than 100 miles away in Surrey.
The teenager is thought to have obtained Miss Price’s bank details eight months earlier after she tricked her way into the star’s mansion, claiming to be working for her security staff.
Marshall, who wants to become a woman but is yet to undergo surgery, appeared in the dock yesterday looking decidedly less glamorous than her idol in a faded sweater, bright pink jogging bottoms and glittery silver Ugg-style boots.
Jonathon Dee, prosecuting, said Marshall’s obsession with Miss Price ‘reached dangerous levels’ when the fraud took place last year.
He said Marshall, who was 17 at the time of the offences, had tried to change her name to Katie Price, but her mother refused to sanction it.
Marshall was formerly known as Tyler Meadows, but was charged under her new female name after being arrested in her home town of Sleaford last October.
Marshall faced a maximum sentence of ten years in prison after being charged with six counts of fraud between September and October 2011.
She admitted the offences and walked free from Lincoln Crown Court yesterday with a two-year community order and an 18-month mental health treatment requirement.
Judge Sean Morri s also imposed a restraining order for life banning Marshall from contacting Miss Price, approaching her home or attending any venue where the star appears.
A spokesman for HSBC said: ‘It i s not appropriate f or us to comment on individual cases, but we can reassure people who are innocent victims off raud that they will be fully compensated.’
Mi s s Price declined to comment.