Magician Disappears After Charging £400 for Charity Show
A magician who vanished without a trace after charging a community hub £400 for a performance has issued an apology for not refunding the money promptly – and this is not the first time he has faced such accusations.
Dean Spruce, a magician with over 20 years of experience and owner of Divine Magic, has reportedly used various excuses to disappoint eager customers. Complaints suggest that he has previously claimed to be in a "car accident," "having Covid," or "in hospital with broken ribs."
For Crossens Community Centre in Southport, he sent a message on the morning of his scheduled performance, stating that his brother had died and he needed to return to Scotland. Dean had charged the centre £400 for "wonderful entertainment" for their Summer Fair in June.
The event was expected to include a magic show, bubble show, workshops, "walkround magic," balloons, and "amazement." However, he never arrived.
Fiona Townsend, vice chair of the community association, told the Liverpool Echo that they believed the package deal was excellent and had paid the full amount, looking forward to the performance.
Unfortunately, disappointment followed when, on the morning of the event, Dean messaged the centre to say his brother had died and he had to return to Scotland.
Five months later, Fiona says they are still waiting for a full refund from the magician who has been "promising" to pay the money back. According to Fiona, they have asked him for the money and he sent them £100, but they are still waiting for the remaining £300.
She also told the Liverpool Echo: "He keeps messaging us promising to pay us money but he never does." "I feel like he strings you along. We’ve seen online that he has been turning up to some events and not others, it’s like he picks and chooses and double books events. He has done it all over the country to different people."
In a statement, Dean Spruce said: "I’m sorry for what has happened and Crossens will have been refunded £200 by the time of this article. I am working hard to refund everyone. I have been in contact with the affected groups and I’m sorry it happened as this year has been hard and I had similar issues three years ago too. I could have handled it better and I’m sorry and it will be sorted any issues please email me."
According to reports, several charities and small businesses have also been let down by Dean, with thousands of pounds in payments taken without performances being done. The magician was issued a police warning after a string of incidents recorded between June and December 2023.
Dean Spruce has been contacted for further comments.
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