The crimes of British conman Robert Hendy-Freegard who made £1 million by masquerading as an MI5 agent are to be highlighted in a new documentary.
The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman, which will be released on Netflix tomorrow, will look at how the car salesman convinced a series of highly respectable victims he was an undercover spy and they were IRA targets because they knew him.
Many of his victims hid for many years. All of them ended up giving him money – £1million he spent living out his James Bond fantasy of fast cars, luxury holidays and expensive clothes.
Hendy-Freegard, who was dubbed ‘the puppet master’, forced his victims to take on bizarre ‘tests’, including one who had to survive on rations of one Mars Bar per week, another who walked 110 miles for a meeting with a non-existent ‘MI5 contact’, and a third who had to live for week in a motorway service station on just £10.
Hendy-Freegard from Blyth (Nottinghamshire) was convicted in June 2005 of ten charges including eight counts of procuring cash by deception, two of kidnapping, and eight counts of theft.
Two years later, Robert was released from two charges of kidnapping on technical grounds. Robert served nine more years of his sentence for other crimes, though his life sentence was suspended.
Meanwhile Jake Clifton, 25, and his sister Sophie, 28, appear in the new series as they describe how they became estranged from their mother Sandra, 49, after she began dating Hendy-Freegard – and how they believe he is coercively controlling her.
The crimes of British conman Robert Hendy-Freegard who made £1 million by masquerading as an MI5 agent are to be highlighted in a new documentary
He was known for his motto, “lies need to be large to convince”, and first made his mark in Newport, Shropshire. There, John Atkinson’s wealthy son fell under the spell of Sarah Smith (his then-girlfriend)
John was first informed by him that he was an MI5 Undercover Agent and was conducting an investigation into an IRA Cell in his college.
For his loyalty and because he believed he was hard enough, a beating forced him into it.
In order to show his loyalty, and also to isolate him from his friends, he convinced him to be a strange person in college.
Tomorrow’s Netflix release of The Puppet Masters: Hunting the Ultimate Conman explores how a car salesman persuaded a string of respectable victims to believe he was an MI5 agent. They were also IRA targets since they had known him.
In April 1993, Hendy Freegard announced that his MI5 cover was “blown” and they had to both go undercover.
He revealed to Sarah, her friend Maria Hendy, that John was suffering from cancer. He convinced them all to join him on his ‘farewell trip’ across England.
They went on the run, participating in bizarre missions across the country. Then they moved to a Sheffield rented safe house.
They were told to cut all contact with their family members because of the danger they were putting themselves in.
The film features Jake Clifton (25) and Sophie (28), who describe their separation from Sandra (59) after Sandra started dating Hendy Freegard.
John Farmer had to be hired as a barman, and Sarah John’s partner was required to work in a chip-shop.
They paid their tormentor their wages, which left them with little or no money to live.
They stayed in Sheffield for five months because Hendy Freegard prohibited them from leaving.
Sarah was so full that she ate leftover chips batter.
The friends of Hendy Freegard were forced, like all the victims, to raise money from their loved ones. Hendy Freegard used this money to fund his James Bond dream.
Over time he bought himself seven BMWs as well as an £80,000 Aston Martin Volante, Rolex watches and Savile Row suits.
The group eventually split up, others took jobs – still handing most of their money to Hendy-Freegard – and Maria became his lover.
He gave her two beautiful daughters.
After she found out his past affairs, he attacked her and threatened to kill him before telling her she couldn’t talk to any one for security reasons.
He became more confident and managed to control up to five victims simultaneously. The super spy kept them all in several’safe houses’ throughout the country, using charm and menace to maintain his grip.
Hendy-Freegard convinced John and his parents to give him £300,000. He received ‘training’ and performed spurious tasks.
For a meeting that isn’t there, he might have to wait several days.
Finally, he revealed to his sister that IRA was following him. The story began to unravel.
It was the same for all his crimes. He would meet victims on social occasions or as customers in the pub or car dealership where he was working.
He later revealed his ‘role as an undercover officer for MI5, Special Branch, or Scotland Yard in an effort to defeat the IRA.
He’d win their trust, get them to pay him money, and have them follow his lead.
He demanded they stop all contact with their family and friends and undergo loyalty tests.
He told them that they were being tested by their supposed spymasters and required all of them to perform bizarre tasks.
He claimed he would marry his victims. They often refused to cooperate because he warned them about double agents and MI5 agents.
Another of his victims was Elisabeth Bartholomew née Richardson, who, despite being recently married, became obsessed with him.
He was known for using the slogan “lies have to seem big to be convincing” as his motto. His first strike came in Newport, Shropshire. There, wealthy farmer John Atkinson’s then-girlfriend Sarah Smith were swept under his spell.
With more confidence, the superspy became more adept at controlling up to five victims at once, placing them in different’safe houses’ throughout the country. He used charm and menace as a way to hold them captive.
She stated at trial that she would have traveled any distance to be with Robert, as he was so good in bed.
He encouraged her to apply for loans in order to help her pay her bills after she divorced.
Meanwhile in 2000 Hendy-Freegard met successful lawyer Caroline Cowper through the car dealership in Chiswick, West London.
He helped her to change her car, pocketed the difference, asked for more, persuaded her to give more money for a leasing business they would run together and stole £14,000 from her building society account.
Hendy Freegard, also known as “the puppet master”, forced his 10 victims into bizarre ‘tests”, including one that had to survive on only one Mars Bar per week.
Before getting engaged, they became friends and enjoyed holidays around the globe.
She was resisted by her family, and when the vehicle didn’t arrive on time, he said that the Polish Mafia had seized it.
Two years later, he seduced an American child psychologist Kimberley Adams with tales of how he had infiltrated a criminal network and how he had killed a criminal who had threatened to expose him.
After a 14-month marriage, he offered Dr Adams marriage. However, she was told by him that he would be spying on her, quit her Reading job, and have no contact with her family.
He instigated loyalty testing and a change to identity.
BBC News reported on 25 April 2007 that Robert Hendy Freegard appealed his convictions for kidnapping and was granted. He was released from prison after his sentence for life was overturned, but he still had to serve nine years of imprisonment for the other charges.
Meanwhile he also flushed her anti-depressant pills down the toilet and sent her to live with her ‘very humble’ mother for three months in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
He also told Leslie Gardner in Newcastle that he needed money to buy off IRA killers, who had been released after the Good Friday agreement.
She gave him £16,000 over six years. She also sold her vehicle and kept the cash.
A sting operation was organized by the FBI and Scotland Yard in 2002. The FBI first tapped the phones of Kimberley’s parents.
Her mother told Hendy-Freegard she would hand over £10,000 but only in person.
Hendy Freegard was arrested at Heathrow Airport by police.
He denied the charges, claiming they were part in a conspiracy against his character. This story was repeated at the next trial.
Blackfriars Crown Court sentenced Robert Hendy Freegard to two counts of kidnapping. He was also convicted of 10 thefts and eight deception. His sentence was life imprisonment on the 6th of September 2005.
BBC News reported on 25 April 2007 that Robert Hendy Freegard appealed his convictions for kidnapping and was successful. Although his life sentence was suspended, he served nine years in prison for other offenses.
In defining today’s offense of kidnapping, the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), judgment was crucial.
Hendy Freegard has rekindled her relationship with Sandra Clifton. She is also a frequent participant on the circuit of dog-shows under the name David Clifton.
Hendy Freegard gifted her a car and told her that he was in the advertising space.
Sandra and her children started to fall apart. Hendy Freegard said Jake was gay at 16 and locked him out.
Sophie broke off contact with her father and brother. She now believes that Hendy Freegard brainwashed her.
According to The Sunday Times, she revealed that an envelope entitled ‘The Liars and Slanders of Mr Mark Clifton’ was pinned to her bedroom bulletin board. This contained letters from her father expressing his love for her.
Hendy Freegard and Sandra vanished, and Sophie was brought back to her family by her father.
They were determined to locate their mother and searched for David Clifton. However, Hendy Freegard was his true name.
However when police tracked down Sandra, and made her aware of who she is with, she dismissed the inquiries.
Sandra has not attended her parents’ funerals in the seven years since she disappeared from family life.
Jake and his sister Sophie have lost all contact with their mother after she disappeared with Hendy-Freegard – and now believe she is his latest victim
The 25-year-old believes his mother ‘has been trained, controlled to do whatever Freegard wants her to say and do’ (pictured together)
Jake also tried last year To have the home his mother had inherited from her parents, protected by placing it in trust
Sandra objected to the attempted assault and the pair met face-to-face in court for the first times in years.
Jake was accused of trying to take her money. Jake, 25, explained that Jake had been training and controlled her so she will say whatever Freegard tells her.
She said that when the police arrived to inform her about our desire to talk to her and tell her her whereabouts, she didn’t seem bothered. I’m with the people I trust.
Hendy Freegard strongly refutes accusations that he controls his partner.
On January 18, The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman will be available on Netflix