King Con duped lonely hearts

A swindler who pretended to be Britain's top lawyer and dressed in pinstripe suits, wigs and robes to trick women, is behind bars after being convicted of a string of offences including fraud and theft.

Paul Bint wined and dined victims he met through lonely hearts ads or the internet. The unlikely-looking Lothario, named "King Con" by the British press, sported all the trappings of a barrister with high-powered connections.

The 47-year-old told some of his "conquests" he was the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer. He boasted of owning a fleet of luxury cars, including one used in the James Bond film GoldenEye, that he had socialised with former 007 star Pierce Brosnan, was friends with singer Robbie Williams and had been married to comedy actor Sarah Alexander.

Bint also spoke of his various homes, including a riverside penthouse, and said his parents were judges. But none of it was true.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told London's Southwark Crown Court that by the time the women realised the truth, he had misused a credit card belonging to one and stolen a valuable bracelet from another.

Bint, who owned up in court to a 30-year criminal career, insisted that he had genuinely been interested in seeing if his latest "friendships" could develop into something "long-term".

A jury convicted him of two counts of fraud, two of theft, including stealing a barrister's laptop, and of test-driving a £59,000 ($129,000) Audi R8 while disqualified, all between five days in April and May year.

Karmy-Jones told the court Bint was "a conman, a confidence trickster, a man who, it seems, had no legitimate source of income other than state benefits and what he could scavenge off his victims, principally women, by abusing their confidence and trust."

She continued: "He posed as a successful criminal barrister [arming] himself with all the necessary accoutrements. He had a pin-striped suit, a red cloth bag you often see barristers carrying, a wig and gown with a collar, as well as bundles of papers tied with ribbon."

He also needed the "right name", and chose Starmer's most of the time.

The court heard that he met his three women victims through newspaper lonely hearts adverts.

The first was 41-year-old Penelope Edwards, whom he gave flowers and pink champagne and romanced on Windsor's riverside before misusing her credit card.

Bint two-timed Edwards with Vivienne Walsh, again by pretending to be a barrister. He stole Walsh's bracelet to give to Edwards, and then contacted a third woman but was arrested before he could meet her.

He was remanded in custody for sentencing next month.

- INDEPENDENT