THE mum of tragic youngster Lewis Mighty has slammed the "utterly shameless" fraudster who impersonated Peter Kay's brother to cash in on her son's illness.
Jaime Mighty has vowed to go to court to see Peter Stead jailed after he admitted conning pub landlords out of money meant for a fund set up in her son's memory.
She said: "I just want to look this utterly shameless man in the face and tell him that his name has hung around like a bad smell for all these years."
The 50-year-old fraudster posed as the brother of comedian Peter Kay and told two pubs in Derby he would put on an event to raise money for the Mackworth youngster, who died from a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma.
The Lewis Mighty Fund was initially set up to raise money for specialist treatment in America, but since Lewis's death last May it has been given to the hospital where he was treated instead.
Stead, of no fixed abode, was paid a deposit for his services but he never turned up and pocketed the money.
Yesterday, after Stead pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court, Mrs Mighty told the Derby Telegraph: "I want to be at the sentencing. I would even like to tell the judge in person about the effect this has had on us as a family.
"He has no morals at all, he was brazen in the way he used our fund for his own ill-gotten gains and I am absolutely delighted that he has finally admitted his crimes.
"I know there are fraudsters out there but what Peter Stead did, as far as we are concerned, is on another level altogether."
Stead was remanded into custody after pleading guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation – three in Derby, one in Nottinghamshire and another in Northamptonshire. The offences spanned from November 2008 to December 2012.
Two offences involved the Lewis Mighty Fund. The others involved him conning people into believing he could get computers, a television and tickets to a concert because he claimed he was Peter Kay's brother.
The judge told him he faced jail and would be sentenced on June 21.
Derbyshire police started a manhunt to find Stead back in 2009 and at one stage the case was covered on television by the BBC programme Crimewatch. He was even named as one of the UK's "most wanted" criminals.
Stead was finally caught in Mackworth earlier this year.
Jamie and Perry Mighty set up the Lewis Mighty Fund, for which Stead offered to perform to support and try to raise £300,000 to pay to send the youngster to America for treatment.
They had been told their son had just a 20% chance of survival.
A high-profile campaign, spearheaded by the family and supported by the Derby Telegraph, saw the local community and beyond raise £230,000.
Lewis died of his illness in May last year, at the age of just seven. The money is now in safe keeping at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, where it will be used to help other children with rare illnesses.
Mrs Mighty said: "I even know that a family in Northamptonshire have been the victim of the fraud he committed there and their little child had the same form of cancer as Lewis.
"I remember at the time that I had an email from Peter Kay's agent saying that Peter was outraged at what Stead had done and telling us he does not have a brother. He sent us some tickets for one of his shows that we auctioned off for the fund at the time.
"I just think it is fantastic, brilliant, super, that Peter Stead has finally been brought to justice."
Following the court hearing yesterday, a police spokesman said: "Stead is a manipulative man who exploited the kind nature of people who wanted to do their bit to support a good cause.
"We are pleased Stead admitted his crimes when he was put before the courts, preventing a costly and time consuming trial."
The Derby Telegraph tried to contact Peter Kay through his agent last night but we received no response.
More than £35,000 given to fund since death of brave Lewis 12 months agoSince Lewis Mighty's death last year, more than £35,000 has been donated to the Lewis Mighty Fund.
The fund is now being managed by staff at Nottingham's QMC hospital, at the behest of Jaime and Perry Mighty, Lewis's parents. The fund's total now stands at £228,000.
That money will be used to pay for short breaks for youngsters and their families staying on Ward E38 at the Queen's Medical Centre, the ward on which Lewis spent so much time.
It will help provide days out and gifts for children with serious illness in the East Midlands and their siblings and offer parents of sick children trips out, away from the pressures of care.
Barbara Cathcart, chief executive at Nottingham Hospitals Charity, which runs the Lewis Mighty Fund, said: "Lewis was a very special and brave little boy and it's wonderful to see that his local community has continued to raise money in his memory, to support other children with cancer and to help Lewis's legacy live on."
Mrs Cathcart blasted the actions of Peter Stead, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges at Derby Crown Court on Friday.
She said: "His actions are absolutely despicable. What he's done is beyond disrespectful to the memory of Lewis, to his family and to other supporters of the Lewis Mighty Fund – it is truly deplorable that he would use the name of a brave young cancer victim for his own gain.
"We'd like to reassure all our supporters that we have strict safeguards against fraudulent fund-raising and would ask that anyone who has concerns about someone claiming to fund-raise for the Lewis Mighty Fund contacts us directly, to ensure it is legitimate and genuine.
"We'd also like to thank the thousands of people who have proved that goodwill prevails by continuing to raise money for the Lewis Mighty Fund, and we want to encourage our supporters to keep up their fantastic work."
To help local children with cancer by supporting the Lewis Mighty Fund, call 0115 962 7905, or e-mail charity @nuh.nhs.uk.
