Osaze Odemwinge loses N22 million to fraudster

Osaze Odemwinge

According to reports gathered by supersport.com Lifestyle consultant Claire Duke stole more than £80 000 (about N22 million) from Nigeria international striker Peter Odemwingie, former West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray and former Liverpool player Andre Wisdom in a desperate bid to avoid going bankrupt.

The 30-year-old Duke pocketed money given to her by three of her clients it was revealed at Stafford Crown where she also admitted seven counts of fraud and was given a two-year jail term suspended for two years.

Duke cashed in on the wedding of Odemwingie by duping him into paying twice for his luxury £7 000 Venice honeymoon.

Respected British newspaper, the Daily Mail reported how Odemwingie unwittingly picked up the bill for a £15 000 break in the Caribbean enjoyed by Liverpool player Andre Wisdom.

Odemwingie was still on the books of West Brom when he asked lifestyle consultant Duke to arrange £7 000 worth of flights to Miami in April 2012 and gave her his credit card details to pay for them.

The previous month his future mother-in-law, Mrs Tracy Fallon, had given Duke £7 560 to cover her daughter’s honeymoon to Venice but the lifestyle consultant pocketed the cash.

Duke collected a total of £82 561 from six people between April 2012 and July last year although the overall loss was £64 974 since some of the stolen money was used to pay the costs of other clients as she juggled the books to cover up the racket, it was said.

Duke from Farm Crescent, St Albans, was also given 150 hours unpaid work.