A fraudster who conned a millionairess into handing him almost £150,000 after meeting her on Tinder asked his girlfriend to hide computer memory sticks containing faked documents, a court has heard.
Richard Dexter, 37, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, posed as a ‘successful businessman’ to convince victim Amrita Sebastian to hand over £141,000 which he said would be invested in medical technology that would lead to multi-million pound deals.
She was told by him that he had a “big win” and would be able to earn a lot of money after purchasing the patents on valuable biopharmaceutical tech.
Dexter indicated that several multi-national companies, such as 3M (a US-based medical company), were keen to sign a multimillion-pound agreement with him.
However, he didn’t pay her back. The Middle East-based executive then reported him to police.
When officers raided Dexter’s home in April 2018 they found a document in his bedside cabinet which claimed he had more than £4 million invested with the financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown.
According to the jury, it had been ‘partly falsified’. The actual account was owned by a friend. It contained 37p at its close.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Dexter was scared off by the raid and he was arrested. In case of police at their doors again, Evans asked Maisie Evans to conceal USB sticks that contained falsified “licensing arrangements” purporting to be related to patents.
Richard Dexter, 37 (pictured above), told victim Amrita Sebastian that he was about to make a huge windfall and large sums of money. He had just informed her that he had obtained patents on valuable biopharmaceutical tech.
Dexter (pictured outside court) said major multi-nationals – including US medical firm 3M – were interested in signing a multi-million pound deal with him
Miss Evans stated: “He said to me that he was afraid that the police will raid our property again, and that they would seize it.”
“We talked about hiding them. We decided to put them in a crafts box. Because I believed that someone would mistakenly assume there wasn’t anything valuable in the craft box.
Miss Evans claimed to a juror that she had left Dexter with her daughter and moved to Bristol in December 2018, when Dexter was taken into custody.
Elle continued, “I flee the relationship with my child and all my belongings while Dexter was under custody.”
Dexter has pleaded guilty for seven charges of fraud
“I took the craft boxes and Dexter was contacted by Hugh Affleck Graves, Dexter’s business partner and friend. He asked about memory sticks.
They were not given to Evans, but Miss Evans took them into Hampshire Constabulary.
According to the prosecutors, Dexter was accused of forging patent documentation to “wheedle out” of the alleged fraud.
‘Why doctor an investment report belonging to another to show you have £4 million?’ Robert Bryan asked the jury. “His fraud pleas might well inform you.
‘Mr Dexter does not have, nor has he had an account with Hargreaves Lansdown let alone one containing over £4 million.’
According to the court, the UK Intellectual Property Office couldn’t find any evidence that the patent mentioned in the agreement was genuine.
The court also heard that they were created shortly after the first arrest of him by police.
Dexter says Miss Evans created documents that he ‘frames’.
Dexter pleaded guilty and admitted to conning Miss Sebastian.
However, he denied one count for possessing an item used in fraud as well as one count perverting the course or justice.
The trial is continuing.