A MUSIC teacher with fake qualifications conned a former Bury X Factor hopeful who had hired her as a vocal coach, a court heard.

Jean Gillies was uncovered when teenager Daniel Fox, who reached the final 24 in last year’s ITV talent show, met her former colleague who said the qualifications were hers.

At Bolton Crown Court last Friday, Gillies, aged 48, of Lobelia Avenue, Farnworth, was given a conditional discharge and fined £200. She had earlier admitted two counts of engaging in an unfair commercial practice.

Sentencing, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “Your deceit has been exposed. You are someone with an ability to teach pupils and a person of previous good character, but that has now been lost.

“Your business has also suffered as a result of your actions. That seems a big punishment for you.”

Mother-of-three Gillies, who is based at Melody Pop Tuition Dance and Management Centre in St George’s Road, Bolton, has been a professional singer, using the stage name Jean Pasquill.

For many years, she has been a vocal tutor and three of her students have gone on to earn record deals.

But the court heard how, in 2004, Gillies registered her details on the website musicteachers.co.uk that budding singers visit to find tutors.

In her profile, Gillies wrote she had four qualifications, including two university degrees.

One of her students was Daniel Fox, aged 19, who had studied performing arts at Bury College.

He made it as far as singing at judge Cheryl Cole’s house in last year’s X Factor, narrowly missing out on the live TV finals.

When Daniel went to university, his dad Neil looked for a new tutor. He picked Eileen Nelson, a former colleague of Gillies.

Sophie Cartwright, prosecuting, said: “Mr Fox spoke to Eileen Nelson about Daniel’s previous tutors.

“He mentioned the qualifications the defendant was supposed to have and Mrs Nelson was quite surprised because they were her qualifications and certainly not the qualifications of the defendant. Mr Fox felt misled and conned.”

Mr Fox, from Heywood, alerted Bolton Trading Standards officers.

Ms Cartwright said: “Hanging on the wall of the reception were a number of certificates detailing teaching and lecturing studies gained over two years. The certificate information was false and the defendant had made them.”

Initially, Gillies claimed the qualifications were valid because she thought that when Mrs Nelson left Melody Pop her qualifications would pass down to her.

After the hearing, Mr Fox said: “People spend many years earning university degrees at great expense to themselves, so it is absolutely out of order that someone should tell an outright lie about holding such qualifications to get new students.”