When DNA Lies: What the Chelsea Millar and Sheldon Brown Case Tells Us About Justice

By Michael Thompson, Paternity Fraud UK

At Paternity Fraud UK, we’re used to talking about cases where women lie about who the father is. But occasionally—very occasionally—the roles are reversed. The recent case involving Chelsea Millar and Sheldon Brown is one of those rare and shocking examples.

It’s also a reminder of what happens when the system does take paternity fraud seriously. Sadly, that only seems to apply when the fraudster is a man.

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🧬 A DNA Test Built on Lies

Chelsea Millar gave birth to her son Louie in March 2022. Just three days later, Sheldon Brown walked out—and denied being the child’s father.

Rather than take responsibility, Brown roped in a corrupt lab worker named Robert Patel to rig the DNA test. Patel faked the entire thing: he submitted his own saliva, forged a doctor’s signature, and stamped it to make it look official. The Child Maintenance Service then told Chelsea that Sheldon wasn’t the father—when he was.

But Chelsea refused to accept it. She went to a private lab and convinced Sheldon’s mother to take part. The result proved what Chelsea already knew: Louie was Sheldon’s son.

That was the turning point.

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⚖️ A Rare Example of Real Consequences

This wasn’t a slap-on-the-wrist kind of case. Both men were prosecuted and convicted of conspiracy to defraud:

Sheldon Brown was jailed for 50 weeks.

Robert Patel received 33 weeks.

And rightly so. This wasn’t a clerical error—it was a deliberate, disgusting attempt to cheat a mother and child out of £94,000 in child maintenance.

The most alarming part? Patel had a previous conviction for stealing from a disabled person. And yet someone still trusted him to handle DNA samples.

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⚖️ But When It’s a Woman…

Now contrast that with the recent case of Beth Fernley in Warrington.

She falsely claimed a man was the father of her child, forged paternity test documents multiple times, and manipulated him into financially and emotionally supporting a child that wasn’t his.

She even got him to move in and buy a home. The entire relationship was based on fraud.

Her sentence?

🔹 13 months suspended

🔹 200 hours of community service

🔹 £300 compensation

No prison. No deterrent.

The judge even acknowledged that she continued lying after the police got involved.

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💡 The Double Standard Is Clear

In the Chelsea Millar and Sheldon Brown case, two men were jailed for falsifying a DNA test to avoid responsibility.

In the Beth Fernley case, a woman faked paternity to impose responsibility—and walked free.

Both cases involved deception, forged DNA evidence, emotional harm, and financial implications. But only one resulted in jail time.

This is the pattern we’ve seen for years at Paternity Fraud UK. When a man commits fraud, it’s a criminal offence. When a woman does it, it’s called a “mistake.”

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👨‍👦 What Needs to Change

1. Equal Sentencing

Fraud is fraud—regardless of gender. The law should reflect that.

2. DNA Test Safeguards

Chain of custody must be recorded properly. Video evidence of swabs should be standard in disputed paternity tests.

3. More Awareness

Most men don’t even realise paternity fraud is a crime. Some don't even question the result of a test done in the wrong conditions. We’re here to change that.

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🎯 Final Thought

What happened to Chelsea Millar was outrageous. But thankfully, she stood her ground and exposed the fraud.

The system worked for her—eventually. The same can’t be said for the men deceived by Beth Fernley. And it’s not just them. We speak to men every week who are told “just move on” when they discover the child they raised isn’t biologically theirs.

If you're one of them, or if you suspect something isn’t right, speak to us.

📞 Contact Paternity Fraud UK

📩I paternityfrauduk@gmail.com

🌐 www.paternityfrauduk.org

Justice doesn’t happen by accident. Sometimes, you have to fight for it. And we’re here to help you do just that.