Crook set for Crimewatch appearance

A conman who posed as Peter Kay’s brother to steal money intended for a five-year-old cancer sufferer is set to appear on Crimewatch tonight.

The fraudster, who called himself Danny Kay, claimed to be a comedian, too, and duped pubs and clubs into handing over money for stand-up shows which never happened.

He offered to stage the gigs across Derby last summer in return for a donation for the Lewis Mighty Fund. He took the cash up front, and then vanished.

Lewis' mum, Jaime, told the Derby Evening Telegraph: ‘Hopefully, someone watching Crimewatch will know him or will have seen him and have information that will help the police track him down.

‘Lots of people from Derby gave him money in good faith thinking that it would go to Lewis's fund.

‘The worry is now that this man is somewhere else in the country doing the same thing to someone else.’

Police say the conman is in his 40s, of large build, with sandy blond hair and has a resemblance to Peter Kay

The Lewis Mighty Fund aims to raise £300,000 to send Lewis to America for cutting-edge treatment for his neuroblastoma. He currently has a one-in-five chance of surviving beyond the end of this year.

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said: ‘This man conned money out of trusting, generous people who were keen to raise funds for a very worthy cause.’

The items on Crimewatch are not decided until the last minute, but Kay’s case has been lined up for tonight’s show.

It is not the first time a conman has pretended to be Peter Kay’s brother. In 2003, Father of three Peter Stead, then 41, admitted swindling three people out of a total of £220, promising them VIP tickets to see his famous ‘brother’. Stead also used the name Danny.

At that court hearing, defence lawyer Sean Joyce said: ‘[Stead] started working as a stand up comedian and he was told by friends that he had a look of Peter Kay and that his style was similar. He decided to adopt Danny Kay as his stage name and became known as Danny Kay in Blackpool.

‘The complainants were people he was introduced to. He accepts that he told them he was Peter Kay's brother, and he also accepts that he has caused them distress and embarrassment.’

Published: 27 Jan 2010