Conman who posed as 'MI5 agent' found guilty

A man who posed as an MI5 agent as part of an elaborate con has been found guilty of kidnapping, theft and deception at Blackfriars Crown Court in London.

Thirty-four Robert Hendy-Freegard is thought to have gained around £1 million from a decade-long scam, during which he swindled his victims out of large amounts of cash, by persuading them they were being targeted by the IRA.

Hendy-Freegard used tremendous powers of persuasion on his first two victims, the court was told, convincing them to leave their college studies and abandon their wealthy families.

The court was told that Hendy-Freegard’s victims were forced to live in poverty, handing over all the money they had or could borrow because they believed their lives were in danger.

Hendy-Freegard denied all 24 charges against him, but was convicted of 20 counts, which included two kidnapping charges, ten counts of theft and eight counts deception.

He was cleared of two kidnapping charges, one count of theft and one charge of making a threat to kill.

(KMcA)