Career conman back behind bars

Published 28 Oct 2009 17:47 0 Comments

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BRITAIN'S most notorious conman was back behind bars this week after posing as a top barrister to 'worm his way' into women's lives.

Paul Bint 47, claimed he was Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer, QC, and high-flying criminal barrister Jonathan Rees, playing the role to perfection with a gown, wig, pinstripe suit, bundles of paper and red barrister's bag.

During a six week spree of 'fraud and deception', the homeless drifter stole cash and jewellery from five victims and drove around in a £60,000 Audi sports car.

Southwark Crown Court heard the fraudster dubbed the 'King of the Swindlers', meet his first victim after advertising in newspaper lonely heart columns as a successful barrister 'fit, very spontaneous and looking for a relationship'.

He met her in Windsor with a bottle of champagne and a bunch of flowers and claimed he had a house in Sunningdale and a riverside penthouse in London, both his parents were judges, he was friends with Robbie Williams and he had a 'failed marriage' with British comedy actress Sarah Alexander.

But he showed his spiteful side when she arranged a date with another man and he wrote 'bitch' in white paint on the side of her house and blamed it on his rival.

Prosecutor Riel Carmy-Jones said Bint's arrest on May 19 this year 'ended a spree of fraud and deception that had spanned five to six weeks, during which time he had lied and manipulated a number of people'.

She added: "He used his impersonation of a barrister to good effect, clocking up some five victims, three of them women he met either through newspaper dating columns or the internet.

"He then purported to began friendships with them, using this false persona to worm his way into their homes, in some cases into their hearts and lives."

On Monday, Bint was convicted of two counts of fraud by false representation, five of driving while disqualified and one count of theft and one of burglary.

Jurors at Southwark Crown acquitted him of seven similar fraud charges after the defendant told them the woman had given him permission to access her account and he was cleared of four counts of driving while disqualified.

Judge Deborah Taylor remanded him in custody before sentencing on November 3.

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