Couple speak of heartbreak after being conned by fake surrogate mother

A couple from Hull have spoken of their heartbreak after being conned by a fake surrogate mother.

Benita and Mark Cutter were desperate for a child but were unable to conceive.

They advertised on the internet for a surrogate mum and were contacted by Samantha Brown. They travelled to her home in Scotland where they stayed at her home and provided sperm for insemination.

In the following months, they were sent scan pictures of their supposed baby boy and kept up to date with fabricated hospital check-ups and visits to ante-natal classes.

They prepared a bedroom for the baby and named him Tommie.

They paid over £8000 into Samantha's bank account, covering costs for maternity wear, baby clothes and travel expenses, and supporting her when she claimed she had lost her job due to pregnancy complications.

Shortly before the baby was due, Samantha contacted the Cutters to say she had been in a car accident. She sent them a picture of a baby which she said have been stillborn.

But when the couple contacted the hospital where she was supposed to be, they learned there was no record of her.

Samantha Brown admitted the fraud in Inverness Sheriff Court.

The couple say they are devastated by her deception and are calling for tighter laws surrounding surrogacy.