Dating website 'serial' fraudster jailed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-37977512

Version 0 of 1.

A "serial fraudster" who tricked women on dating websites into buying him more than £100,000 of goods has been jailed.

Zac Langley, from Poole, Dorset, told victims he had been a Royal Marine for 15 years and had a wealthy family.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Langley claimed he owned a property development business, two homes on the Sandbanks peninsula, and a family import firm.

Langley, 41, was jailed for five years and six months fraud and failing to comply with crime prevention orders.

Langley met two of his victims on the Plenty Of Fish dating website and then told lies to persuade them to part with their cash, even proposing to one of the women and convincing another to quit her job.

He also duped one of the women's mothers.

He would tell them he worked in intelligence for the Royal Marines or for the Ministry of Defence and owned a property development business. An email was also forged showing he had assets of £50m.

In two cases, Langley persuaded his victims to enter into credit agreements for two Range Rovers and a Mercedes car. He also persuaded victims to pay for hotel stays, meals in restaurants and artwork.

'Cynical manipulator'

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott described Langley as a "serial fraudster" who had "a list of aliases".

The court heard one of Langley's victims Clare Cooper initially thought he was "a lovely, kind-hearted, caring man" and her mother Muriel Cooper was also "taken in by him".

Langley, who did not appear in court for sentencing, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to five counts of fraud and 10 counts of failing to comply with crime prevention orders imposed on him in 2012.

He had previously been convicted under the name Andrew Penfold and had served six prison sentences for a total of 74 similar offences.

The court heard they dated back to May 2000 and some involved women he had met through dating websites.

His Honour Judge Fuller said: "He is a cynical manipulator and confidence trickster and a thoroughly dishonest individual."

Following sentencing, Claire Cooper, 34, said she was more upset for the distress Langley had caused her 60-year-old mother, who had provided much of the cash lost, with his "web of lies".

"He's taken everything - stripped her of her livelihood," she said.

She added her mother had been forced to return to work having previously retired.