A Hexham fraudster who claimed to be a retired police officer and conned his partner out of £75,000 has been jailed.
Michael Eric Forster met a woman on a dating site and a relationship developed soon after, but the 69-year-old soon began telling the woman a web of lies, including that he was a retired police officer and that his wife had passed away when she hadn't.
Forster then persuaded the woman to invest thousands of pounds of her own money in Swiss investment bonds he claimed to have, and even paid fake payments into the woman's account which she believed was interest from her investment. But when the relationship was coming to an end and the woman asked for her money back, Forster became "aggressive" and cut all contact with her, leaving her £75,000 out of pocket.
Read more: Easington man Tasered after raising fake gun at police officer in street
On Wednesday, Forster, of Redburn Crescent, Acomb, Hexham, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for four counts of fraud. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, said Forster had met the woman on a dating site in 2012 and they later met face to face where he lied to her, telling her his wife had passed away and that he was a retired police officer. The relationship then developed and in 2014 Forster told the woman he wanted to build a home and that he had a Swiss bank account. Mr Hopkins said: "He suggested she put some of her money in bonds and suggested the Swiss bank account would be suitable and that she would receive interest."
The woman then gave Forster £25,000 and he began transferring her £90 a month to her account which she believed were interest payments. Mr Hopkins said that Forster later advised her to increase her payments and she gave him another £5,000 - with him continuing to pay her false interest payments.
In 2015, the woman gave him another £20,000 and the "sham" investments continued. Mr Hopkins said that in October 2015, Forster showed the woman a Swiss credit document which she thought was an investment bond. In actual fact, Forster had found the document whilst staying at a cottage, the court heard. Again, the woman gave him £25,000 in 2016 before the relationship began to "sour".
Mr Hopkins said the woman then asked for her money back, but Forster became "aggressive" and gave her a series of lies, including a "hand-written note" promising to repay her money and saying there was a "hold up" in Switzerland. By June 2016, the woman's sham interest payments had stopped and she contacted police after becoming suspicious. However, the police told her it was a civil matter and she resorted to going through the county court process.
In a victim statement, the woman said she believed Forster's lies and thought they were in a loving relationship. She said Forster was aware her son had also died and that she wanted her money back to help her other son go through a divorce, but the defendant showed "no empathy" and instead gave her "verbal abuse". The victim added she had been left "distraught" by the fraud as well as "manipulated and groomed".
Christopher Knox, defending, said Forster was of previous good character and had made an attempt to repay some of the money back, and said he had recently given the victim's solicitors £25,000. He said due to Forster's age and ongoing medical conditions, prison will "not be easy" for him.
Judge James Adkin said Forster became "aggressive" when his victim asked for her money back and "frittered away" her money on "luxuries". He jailed Forster for two years and three months.
Read next:
- Ashington brute threatened to 'chop up' and kill his partner during terrifying attack
- Almost 40 firefighters called to Ryton after 'large scale' blaze at disused warehouse
- Peterlee kidnapper stole family car and sped off with their two-year-old baby sat in backseat
-
Newcastle man's angry outburst sent neighbour flying to ground after shoving door at him
-
Grandad headbutted woman and assaulted two others when Lemington neighbour dispute turned violent
