Christopher Harkins and the holidays that were never booked

A shared trip, an unshared truth

Harkins sent screenshots of proposed destinations and persuaded women to contribute half the cost. According to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, he never booked the holidays and did not return most of the money.

A photograph of a destination can make a plan feel concrete. It does not show that a reservation exists, who paid for it or whether the person proposing the trip intends to go. That distinction is our reading of the mechanism described by prosecutors.

Sources: COPFS — Prosecution account

The successful businessman who needed a loan

Another explanation involved supposedly frozen bank accounts. Harkins portrayed himself as financially successful, then sought short-term help from partners. Prosecutors said several women borrowed substantial sums to help him.

The sentencing judge described a repeated pattern of gaining trust before inventing a crisis. Nine women lost more than £214,000 between them. Some had handed over savings; others had taken on debt. Almost none of the money had been repaid when the judge addressed the court.

Sources: COPFS — Prosecution account · Judiciary of Scotland — HMA v Christopher Harkins

What the court decided

Harkins pleaded guilty to fraud charges in January 2024. A trial that May resulted in further convictions, including rape. The 12-year sentence imposed in July covered 19 offences against ten victims. It was not a sentence for financial deception alone.

The court also imposed indefinite non-harassment orders. Victim impact statements described exhaustion, stress and humiliation alongside the financial losses. The published sentencing statement records harm that continued beyond the original transfer of money.

Sources: Judiciary of Scotland — HMA v Christopher Harkins · COPFS — Prosecution account

A promise is not a booking

The specific claim matters. A convincing dating profile and a real identity cannot establish that a holiday has been purchased. Evidence of a transaction must come from somewhere beyond the person requesting payment.

Our phone and photo guides explain the limits of identity clues. They cannot verify intentions or guarantee safety. Responsibility for this deception lies with Harkins; the court account describes deliberate exploitation of trust.

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