‘Slick’ fraudster posed as multi-millionaire to con woman he met on dating site out of £250k

A CAREER conman who swindled a doctor and her mother out of more than a quarter of a million pounds has been sentenced to almost a decade behind bars.

Christopher Heayns had just been released from prison when he met his victim, setting out to drain her of more than £250,000 to fund his desired lavish lifestyle.

The 35-year-old charmer’s deceptive ways were only uncovered when one of the doctor’s friends showed her an old newspaper article about the conman’s previous crimes.

Convicted of four counts of fraud by false representation and 10 bankruptcy offences, Heayns was labelled “the most dishonest person I’ve ever encountered” by Recorder Euan Duff, who sentenced him to nine-and-a-half years jail.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Heayns, of Terrier Close, Bedlington, met his victim on the Plenty of Fish dating site, telling her that he was a successful barrister with a multi-million pound property portfolio after the pair met on the dating website in 2013.

The two started a relationship with Heayns charming his victim into renting a grand home in his name so he could move back to the North East - convincing her that a clause made it difficult for barristers to rent in their own name.

The court was told he persuaded his victim to rent out the Sandhoe Hall and pay for the £2,400 a month for rent.

“I was reluctant and thought it was too soon for financial ties and far beyond my abilities to maintain,” she told the court in her victim impact statement, as Heayns stood emotionless in the dock.

The court heard the “slick and charming” Heayns told her he was due a big windfall from one of his investments, but needed money in the meantime to keep his lavish lifestyle going.

She paid his bills and his housekeeping staff, while he even convinced her mother to give him money.

He used the conned cash to pay for hotels and trips to London while the doctor worked extra shifts to try and keep on top of her finances and fund his lifestyle.

It was only until someone gave her a copy of a newspaper article detailing one of Heayns’ earlier crimes that the conman’s stories came unravelling, including that he had been using her money to pay for prostitutes.

But Heayns tried to keep control over his victim, telling her he knew dangerous people who could target her family.

But the doctor said she made enquiries about Heayns, and eventually contacted the authorities, telling the court: “I found out he’s not nearly as dangerous as he made himself out to be.”

She told the court that she was exactly the type of person bankrupt Heayns was looking to leech off as soon as he left prison for a previous offence in 2013.

As a doctor, she was a “trusting individual with an excellent earning potential - the ideal target for someone to obtain credit”, the court heard.

Heayns took more than £168,000 from her and £82,000 from the mother, alongside nearly £20,000 in rent paid for his lavish home.

The bankrupt fraudster set up a printing business which allowed him to create false paperwork, and he failed to even pay his staff their wages. One is owed more than £10,000.

He was found to owe builders £18,000, as well as nearly £4,000 to the council. He even managed to con a marshmallow maker out of £11,800 through an extended credit line she set up for him after meeting him at a trade fair, while he ran up £20,000 in unpaid credit with a car rental company.

In February, Heayns was convicted of the 14 crimes. He has 15 convictions for more than 120 offences stretching back to 2000, when he was just 19 years old.

The doctor is selling the house she owned in a bid to recover from financial ruin. Her credit rating, the court heard, is now so bad that she can not be considered for another mortgage.

She has been left feeling humiliated by Heayns, who was convicted after a nine-day trial.

“Naively I thought he would plead guilty,” she told the court.

“But I had to endure a character assassination, and being called a liar. It was utterly humiliating and I will never forget it.”

Shaun Esprit, defending, said Heayns disputes the figures the prosecution claim were involved and say they could be £100,000 less.

Mr Esprit said Heayns had penned a long letter to his victim.

He added: “He has some appreciation of the harm that has been brought upon people, he says, he did in fact love.”

Upon sentencing, Recorder Euan Duff told him: “You are the most dishonest person I’ve ever encountered.”

He added: “It’s difficult to imagine a greater impact than that you’ve had on her.”