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Conman stole his own barrister’s identity

A conman awaiting trial for swindling three women out of their savings stole his own barrister’s identity so as to trick a fourth victim, a court was told. Roy Moyse pretended to be the lawyer to dupe the 41-year-old woman he had met in a wine bar.

He dressed in pinstriped suits and hired an expensive car to appear well-off, but in reality Moyse was an unemployed salesman living with his parents and was awaiting trial for three similar scams.

Bournemouth Crown Court was told that the 40-year-old divorcé targeted women in nightclubs and wine bars pretending to be a barrister or successful businessman. After winning their trust he would explain how he was having to wait for the money from a big inheritance to buy a flat in Sandbanks, an exclusive area of Poole, Dorset. The women would then offer to help to tide him over, an offer he would gratefully accept.

He tricked four women out of more than £50,000 during the course of their platonic relationships. He also persuaded Paul Nippard, a pub landlord, to give him £60,000, plunging him into debts that cost him his job and his home.

Even after being charged with deception Moyse targeted Lisa Williams last August. He told her that he was a barrister called Roy Benson and worked for the same chambers that he had hired to represent him in court.

Over two months Moyse swindled Miss Williams, a debt collector, out of several thousand pounds while pretending that he was in the process of buying a flat in Sandbanks. Miss Williams told the court: “I am not a gullible person but he was so plausible. He was very softly spoken, gentle and was always immaculately turned out in a blue pinstriped suit with sparkling cufflinks. I thought he was a barrister.”

She found out his real identity when she called his “chambers” and discovered he was the accused in a ongoing fraud case.

Moyse pleaded guilty to five counts of obtaining money by deception amounting to about £115,000.

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