Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary, Con Mum, has taken the streaming world by storm, leaving viewers gobsmacked by a jaw-dropping tale of deceit, manipulation, and betrayal. At the heart of this gripping story is Dionne Hornigold, a master manipulator who weaves an intricate web of lies, leaving a trail of heartbreak and financial ruin in her wake, after reconnecting with her long lost son, Graham Hornigold.
But while Dionne’s cons are the stuff of nightmares, the documentary also shines a spotlight on one unsung hero of the story: Graham's then-partner, Heather Kaniuk.
Heather, who was in a relationship with Graham as the events detailed in Con Mum unfolded, emerges as a pivotal figure when it came to unravelling Dionne’s shocking scams.
But who exactly is Heather Kaniuk? What happened to her relationship with Graham? And where is she now? Let’s delve into the life of this remarkable woman who low-key stole the show in Con Mum.
Who is Heather Kaniuk?
Much like the show's key protagonist, Graham, Heather is also a pastry chef – which is how the two initially connected. Heather, who says on social media that she is the former executive pastry chef at high-end hotels The Mandarin Oriental and The Shangri-La, first met Graham when he interviewed her for a job and he describes his first impressions of her as being "driven, very clever, very articulate".
For the first couple of years, the pair had a strictly platonic relationship until they realised their friendship had more of a spark to it.
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"We just had a lot of fun together," Heather, who is from New Zealand, explains on the film. "A lot of good experiences, travelling, eating [...] We were both on the same page with where we wanted to go in life. Wanting to put roots down, start a family, have a business."
Things sadly started to go downhill for the couple shortly after welcoming a child during the pandemic, as Graham's long lost mother, Dionne Hornigold, entered their lives. Graham was duped by her tales of suffering from an incurable cancer, being a multi-millionaire and needing to 'temporarily borrow' huge amounts of money in order to fund her lavish hotel stays and champagne lifestyle.
It was in part down to Heather that Dionne's tricks were exposed, after she researched Dionne's past and uncovered that she had previously entered a guilty plea after being charged with four counts of obtaining money and jewellery by deception, after falsely presenting herself as a rich woman. This case was unconnected to Graham and played out three decades before their reunion. Heather also helped Graham to see the light in other ways, by giving him the wake up call he needed about Dionne with the help of some of his close friends.
Sadly, Graham says he has been unable to get any justice from his ordeal with Dionne, which left him £300,000 in debt, as the law failed to recognise Dionne's fraudulent acts against him due to their familial ties.
Dionne has never been charged for her the allegations made in the documentary and she chose not to comment on the film after being contacted by Netflix. She has however been charged with five counts of fraud in connection to three men in Singapore.
Did Heather and Graham from Con Mum split up?
Sadly, as revealed in Con Mum, Graham and Heather's relationship wasn't able to go the distance after Dionne drove a wedge between them, emotionally, physically and financially. Shortly after Heather and Graham's son was born, he set off on a 'four day trip' to Zurich, Switzerland, with Dionne, under the false pretence that he'd be signing forms to inherit her 'wealth' after she died.
This trip then morphed into a two-month long stay overseas, as Dionne faked issues with her bank and the 'contracts' that Graham believed he needed to sign. She continued to pressure him into staying separated from his new family, causing a rift between Heather and Graham, as the new mother felt unsupported and abandoned back in the UK alone with a newborn.
Heather also reports in the documentary that after initially seeming like a wonderful mother-in-law, Dionne began criticising her parenting skills and accusing Heather of not letting her spend enough time with the baby.
When Dionne's harmful acts came to light, and the vast debts Graham was now shackled to were fully understood and recognised, Heather's relationship with her partner broke down irretrievably.
"The year that I had with my mum took an enormous toll on my relationship with Heather," Graham explains in Con Mum.
Where is Heather Kaniuk from Con Mum now?
Towards the end of the Netflix show, Heather shares, "There was a point where I was hoping to reconcile with Graham, but a lot later when things had settled down, Graham and I had come to the conclusion that I wasn't coming back [from New Zealand]."
Further detailing her reasons for leaving the UK permanently, Heather said becoming a mother changed her, and that her and Graham's son is now the main priority. "You've got to give them [your children] the best life you can."
Graham described the separation from Heather and their son as 'painful', but said he's glad that his child now has stability and family around him.
Heather's Instagram account hasn't publicly posted anything online this year, as she seemingly prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
It seems Dionne's actions were the catalyst for Heather to start an entirely new life abroad, compared to the one we see her living at the start of Con Mum.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
