Conman controlled victims for years with IRA spy yarns

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Conman controlled victims for years with IRA spy yarns
By Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent
24 June 2005


As a barman and car salesman Robert Hendy-Freegard appeared to live an ordinary life. But he had an exciting secret existence as far as some were concerned. At least eight people, including a lawyer, a civil servant and a psychologist, were convinced that he was an MI5 and Special Branch agent dodging IRA hitmen.

Yesterday, however, the 34-year-old was exposed as one of the country's most extraordinary conmen, who had posed as a spy for a decade to trick his victims out of more than £600,000, and possibly as much as £1m. He also controlled the lives of many of his victims - six of them women - to an incredible level. He persuaded three students that they were in such danger from Irish terrorists that they must go into hiding. For years the two women and a man slept in dilapidated "safe houses" while handing over almost all their money to Hendy-Freegard. One of the students went on to have two of his children.

In addition, the conman had affairs with a series of women, several of whom became engaged to him. On occasions one of the women was forced to live on a Mars bar a day and drink water from public lavatories. Another victim spent three weeks hiding in a bathroom.

These abusive relationships enabled him to live a life of luxury, driving executive cars, wearing expensive clothes, including a collection of hand-made Italian shoes, and enjoying first-class holidays.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=649247


CHANGE a few names....and you get Poodle, terrorisin' the Brits with his Forin Bogeymen.....