According to the BBC, alleged victims of Dionne Marie Hanna filed police reports after watching the documentary, which aired last month and details how high-profile pastry chef Graham Hornigold was supposedly duped into funding the 84-year-old’s jet-setting lifestyle.
According to local media reports, her accusers say she took their money with the promise that they would be reimbursed through her inheritance from Brunei’s royal family.
The ploy is comparable to the one she allegedly used on Hornigold in the early days of the pandemic.
Appearing before a district court via video link, Hanna was charged with five counts of fraud.
Speaking to Restaurant ahead of the airing of the documentary, Hornigold said he believes that he has no legal recourse against Hanna - who had claimed to be his long lost mother.
“We did look at taking legal action but when you know the person it’s essentially viewed as a bad business decision,” Hornigold said.
“She has ripped a lot of other people off, and she utilised her tradecraft to decimate everything for us.”
The former head pastry chef of Hakkasan Group, Hornigold is behind gourmet finger doughnut chain Longboys, pastry wholesale business Pretty Sweet and pastry consultancy business Smart Patisserie.
