Conman jailed over £500k swindle
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6071156.stm Version 0 of 1. A "master" conman, whose £500,000 haul included diamonds, antiques and a signed first edition James Bond novel, has been jailed for six years. Wayne Fyffe, 35, from Shoreditch, east London, swindled companies and individuals during a 19-month spree. He was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of deception and conspiracy. One ploy saw Fyffe persuade diamond trader De Beers and jeweller Cartier to hand over items in the belief he was involved in a US magazine photo-shoot. Fyffe, said by his victims to be "plausible and charming", was described by police after the case as a "master" conman. He also obtained designer shoes costing up to £8,000, expensive guitars and works of art. 'Sophisticated' stories The offences took place between August 2004 and March last year. You are a manipulative and resourceful man who used an abundance of social skills to commit these crimes. Recorder David Tomlinson The judge, recorder David Tomlinson, told Fyffe his crimes had a hallmark of "sophistication". Passing sentence he said: "All the evidence indicates beyond doubt that you are a manipulative and resourceful man who used an abundance of social skills to commit these crimes." The court was told security guards for De Beers, who were holding diamonds valued at £160,000, and Cartier were targeted by unidentified robbers as they delivered the goods. Fyffe was arrested after Holly Maynard, 21, his lover and the mother of his child, was arrested. He had sent her to the US to sell to a dealer a copy of Ian Fleming's Bond novel Casino Royale that he had bought for £12,000 with a forged bank draft. The judge said Fyffe had "recruited, corrupted and exploited" Ms Maynard while she was pregnant. Ms Maynard, of Bonham Gardens, Dagenham, Essex, was convicted of conspiracy to convert criminal property. She was given an 18-month supervision order, which includes 60 hours of community work. |