Pasty crimper accused of posing as international porn star to scam lonely pensioner out of £35,000 is cleared after ‘new evidence’ emerged
Aysha Begum, 27, was said to have fooled divorcee Geoffrey Hoyland on a sugar daddy dating group on Facebook
A CORNISH pasty crimper accused of posing as a sexy Asian porn star to con £35,000 from a lonely pensioner has been cleared after "new evidence" came to light.
Aysha Begum, 27, was said to have fooled divorcee Geoffrey Hoyland in a year-long fraud after making contact on a sugar daddy dating group on Facebook.
But today on the second day of her trial prosecutors dropped a fraud allegation against her.
Judge Simon Carr discharged the jury saying: "New information has come to light, which sometimes happens in cases, which has caused the Crown to consider it is not appropriate to pursue the matter further in front of you."
Begum may still face a fresh trial for spending the money swindled from the victim, Truro crown court heard.
Her husband Jynal Khan has already pleaded guilty to fraud.
Earlier jurors heard allegations Begum claimed to be an exotic Bangladeshi model aged 22 and sent the victim X-rated videos and photos of a voluptuous woman she said was her.
In reality she was a married mum-of-one who worked as a pasty crimper at a factory in St Austell, Cornwall.
She asked "naive" Mr Hoyland, 69, to send gifts including lingerie and £20,000 in cash, it was alleged.
Begum was said to have told him it was to assure her conservative mother he was financially secure and their wedding could go ahead.
Mr Hoyland, who lives with his two cats in Banbury, Oxon, also sent gifts including a strapless basque, G-string and stockings, a gold necklace, an iPhone and a white sofa.
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Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, said yesterday: "This case is about the allegation that this lady and her husband worked together and committed what is called a dating scam to extract money from a man, in this case a Mr Hoyland.
"He joined a Facebook page that was introducing ladies who were interested in relationships with older men.
"Mr Hoyland was, you may think, in many ways naive."
The prosecutor added: "A part of the lure, if that is the word, is that she rather shyly informed him she was an exotic model who was involved in making sexual videos.
"Mr Hoyland believed they were forming a genuine relationship and that she was going to come up and see him."
Mr Grumbar said all the money was sent to Begum's personal bank account. Some was used to pay her mortgage but there were large sums of cash withdrawn.
Begum was on trial for fraud and spending criminal proceeds but prosecutors withdrew the first charge after a new statement cast doubt on the allegations.
Prosecutors will decide later if they will seek a second trial on the second charge of spending the £35,000 knowing it came from criminal conduct.
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