Oasis Ticket Fraudster Walks Free After Betraying Friends
A cocaine addict who swindled friends and family out of thousands of pounds by selling fake Oasis and Coldplay tickets has walked free from court with a suspended sentence, despite leaving one victim so devastated she felt like a criminal herself. Stephen Cavanagh, 39, exploited the trust of those closest to him to fund his £300-a-day drug habit, yet was spared immediate custody after a judge accepted he had turned his life around.
How did Stephen Cavanagh scam his victims?
Cavanagh, of Croxteth Road in Aigburth, fraudulently advertised concert tickets for sale between September 2024 and April 2025, targeting family, friends, social groups and social media. He claimed he could no longer attend in-demand Oasis and Coldplay gigs, offering to resell passes that never existed. Liverpool Crown Court heard that in some cases, Cavanagh would repeatedly target the same victims by offering further tickets, pocketing even more of their money.
When one woman grew suspicious and reported him to her bank and the police, Cavanagh responded with a four-word message asking her to withdraw her complaint while promising a refund. Investigations eventually identified 34 purchasers who had been scammed, with Cavanagh pocketing a total of £13,755.60. He was ultimately charged in relation to 17 of these victims and a sum of £6,880.
What impact did the ticket fraud have on victims?
The court heard harrowing accounts from those Cavanagh had betrayed. Amy Stevenson, who had been due to be chief bridesmaid at Cavanagh's wedding after he became engaged to her best friend, paid £350 for Oasis tickets that never materialised. In a statement read to the court, she said:
What makes this situation particularly difficult is the defendant wasn't a stranger to us. He was someone who had been welcomed into our lives and our home. He attended my son's christening. Because of this close relationship, I trusted him completely. The emotional impact has been far greater than the money itself.
Another complainant, Paul Leung, knew Cavanagh through a football club in the Wigan area. His sister, who lives in the USA, bought a plane ticket to fly over for the Oasis concert, only to discover she had been conned. When Mr Leung tried to contact Cavanagh in May 2025, he found he had been blocked on social media.
Lisa Barker, who considered Cavanagh a friend, told the court from the witness box that she had spent hours trying to secure tickets through Ticketmaster before he offered her the opportunity. She went on to purchase a further six tickets for her sister, her husband and close friends. Her sister gave her husband his ticket as a Christmas present. Cavanagh phoned Ms Barker on Christmas Day to ask how her brother-in-law reacted, a detail she described as deeply disturbing and cruel.
Ms Barker broke down in tears as she told the court:
I had to tell my family and friends these tickets were fakes. They trusted me, because I trusted Cavanagh. Having to break that news was humiliating and devastating. At times, I felt like a criminal because I was the one who had convinced others that the tickets were genuine.
Why was Stephen Cavanagh spared prison?
The court heard that Cavanagh had no previous convictions and had handed himself in at Walton Lane Police Station on April 25 last year, confessing to his crimes and stating he was in the midst of a drug addiction. He contacted Merseyside Police again three days later, advising them of the fraud but admitting he could not provide details of his victims as there were so many.
Kyra Badman, defending, told the court that Cavanagh's crippling addiction to cocaine had been addressed off his own back. She said he was now over a year sober, had been volunteering at the Whitechapel Centre, and had passed repeated drug tests over the previous 14 months. The court heard he had lost his job, sold his engagement ring to buy drugs, and had been sleeping rough before making an attempt on his life in April 2025.
Recorder Eric Lamb handed Cavanagh a 14-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 180 hours of unpaid work. He told the defendant:
You took advantage of your close personal connection to your victims. It must have come home to you today, seeing one of your victims break down in tears in the witness box. I must also weigh in the balance the fact that immediate custody will have a harmful impact on your dependant children. I consider there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation if you remain in the community.
As Cavanagh was told he would not be going to jail, his mother and partner were seen hugging in the public gallery. He then told Ms Barker, Lisa, I am sorry, as he walked out of courtroom 41, before being told by court staff not to speak to her.
What sentence did Stephen Cavanagh receive?
Stephen Cavanagh was handed a 14-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, along with 180 hours of unpaid work. He admitted 17 counts of fraud by false representation at Liverpool Crown Court on June 24, 2026.
How much money did the Oasis ticket scammer steal?
Investigations identified 34 purchasers scammed by Cavanagh, with total losses of £13,755.60. He was charged in relation to 17 victims and a sum of £6,880.
Did Stephen Cavanagh go to prison?
No. Cavanagh's 14-month prison sentence was suspended for 18 months. The judge cited his rehabilitation from cocaine addiction, his lack of previous convictions, and the impact on his dependant children as reasons for allowing the sentence to be suspended.