A fraudster posed as a profitable businessman with £4million in investments to con a feminine millionaire he met on Tinder into handing him £141,000, a courtroom heard.
Richard Dexter, 37, promised sufferer Amrita Sebastian that he was on the verge of a ‘huge windfall’ and ‘vital sums’ after telling her he had acquired the patents to helpful biopharmaceutical know-how.
He stated main multi-nationals – together with US medical agency 3M – had been focused on signing a multi-million pound cope with him.
On the again of his lies, govt Ms Sebastian handed over a sequence of funds totalling £141,000 believing they had been investments, prosecutors stated.
However Dexter pocketed the money for himself and got here up with a sequence of more and more weird excuses for why he could not pay her again.
It was then that Ms Sebastian referred to as the police, Portsmouth Crown Courtroom heard.
Richard Dexter (pictured exterior courtroom), 37, promised sufferer Amrita Sebastian that he was on the verge of a ‘huge windfall’ and ‘vital sums’ after telling her he had acquired the patents to helpful biopharmaceutical know-how
When officers raided Dexter’s Hampshire dwelling in April 2018 they discovered a doc which claimed he had greater than £4million invested with the monetary providers firm Hargreaves Lansdown.
However this was a ‘complete fabrication’, the courtroom was advised, with the account really belonging to a a pal of his whose remaining stability was really 37p.
Dexter is then accused of forging patent paperwork to attempt to ‘wheedle out’ of his alleged fraud, in accordance with prosecutors.
Robert Bryan, prosecuting, advised the jury that Ms Sebastian met Mr Dexter on Tinder in 2015. He claimed he was a ‘profitable businessman’ promoting biopharma software program.
He persuaded Ms Sebastian, who lives in Dubai however travels to the UK twice a yr, that he wanted capital to start out manufacturing of a bit of scientific tools.
At first she invested £40,000 then £68,000 two months later, having been assured that he may cowl any losses she would possibly make.
Mr Bryan stated: ‘On the centre of his fraud had been patents and a patent catalogue he claimed to be shopping for.
‘Thereafter having stated he had acquired these patents he stated that well-known corporations resembling Pall Corp and 3M had been within the patents and license offers which might usher in vital sums.
Dexter pleaded responsible to seven counts of fraud and never responsible to at least one rely of possessing an article utilized in fraud and to at least one rely of perverting the course of justice
‘What was required was upfront capital to start manufacturing of a Bioreactor Paddle. She invested.
‘Over the following months he stated he wanted additional funds to pay others. He advised her that she would not misplaced something as he had greater than sufficient to exchange her investments.
‘However anxious that her preliminary investments had been at stake and when he stated he wanted additional funds to cowl the stability of issues resembling attorneys’ charges, she superior him extra funds.’
Ms Sebastian continued paying him to ‘shield’ the preliminary investments with the promise of a ‘massive windfall’ forward, the jury heard.
Mr Brian continued: ‘In direction of the top of 2016, he promised her that he would repay her full funding in January 2017 on the newest.
‘On that foundation, she lent him the ultimate £5,500 as he was in dire monetary straits heading in direction of Christmas.
‘He promised that he would pay her £100,000 as curiosity.’
However Ms Sebastian acquired nothing with Dexter giving the excuse that the financial institution had closed his account and brought management of his dwelling, the courtroom heard.
After they agreed Dexter would repay her £141,500 by April 2017, which might ‘settle the debt in full’, he by no means replied and the cash didn’t arrive, a jury heard.
Ms Sebastian then went to the police.
‘Why physician an funding report belonging to a different to point out you’ve gotten £4million?’ Mr Bryan requested the jury. ‘His fraud pleas might properly inform you.
‘Mr Dexter doesn’t have, nor has he had an account with Hargreaves Lansdown not to mention one containing over £4million.’
The courtroom heard that, in December 2018, USB sticks had been handed to police by his former accomplice, Maisie Evans, containing ‘licensing agreements’ purporting to narrate to a patent.
Robert Bryan, prosecuting, advised Portsmouth Crown Courtroom (file picture above) that Ms Sebastian met Mr Dexter on Tinder in 2015. He claimed he was a ‘profitable businessman’
The courtroom heard the UK’s Mental Property Workplace couldn’t discover something to recommend the patent referred to within the settlement was ‘real’.
And the courtroom heard they appeared to have been created after he had been first arrested by police.
However Dexter now claims Ms Evans created the paperwork to ‘body’ him.
Nonetheless, Mr Brian advised the jury: ‘Even when she created the paperwork, it’s nonetheless him, not her, who tried to go off as real [the documents] that had been created post-interview [with the police].
‘The proof is kind of clear, it’s him who created the paperwork to attempt to wheedle himself out and is a transparent try and pervert the course of justice.’
Dexter, of Southsea, Hampshire, pleaded responsible to seven counts of fraud and never responsible to at least one rely of possessing an article utilized in fraud and to at least one rely of perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues.