Ageing Lothario leaves trail of misery
A charming man is preying upon women, writes Kirsty Lawrence.
On the day he was supposed to settle on a new house with his fiancee, William Harding went out to the dairy. The 77-year-old never returned. At first, his elderly bride-to-be thought he’d had an accident, her daughter says.
Then, as she and her family pulled at the threads, Harding’s identity began to unravel before their eyes.
‘‘Mum was devastated. This was a man who was [meant to be] a partner for the rest of her life.’’
His victims say ‘‘Will’’ Harding comes across as caring and charming to the women he befriends, but then uses those qualities to swindle thousands of dollars from vulnerable elderly people.
He is on the run from police for the second time this year after failing to appear at Whanganui District Court on charges of obtaining by deception and causing loss by deception. He previously pleaded not guilty. The daughter of one of his alleged victims, who has name suppression, said Harding was one of the nicest, most caring people you could meet. That’s what frightens her. ‘‘Will is an amazing person, he will draw anybody in. He was living with us. . . living in our family home all of last year.’’
She said no one suspected a thing.
Her mother and Harding got engaged earlier this year. Harding then decided he wanted to buy a house in Whanganui for them to live in.
The morning the deposit was due, Harding vanished after saying he was popping out to the dairy.
‘‘Mum thought he had an accident. Then I went into his bedroom and realised little things were left and big things were gone.
‘‘So we went to the police station.’’
The more they looked, the more lies they uncovered.
‘‘The moving people said they had never ever heard from him, there was no moving truck booked.
‘‘We had been led to believe he had money left from his brother who died, well there was no brother and no inheritance.’’
The vendors of the house Harding had supposedly been buying sued the woman for failing to pay the deposit, and she ended up having to pay $8000.
Harding is also accused of cheating an elderly dementia patient out of $35,000.
The daughter of an 84-year-old woman with stage three dementia said Harding befriended her mother over the past five years.
Her mum, whose name is suppressed, allegedly lost about $30,000 in cash withdrawn from money machines and $5000 given in cheques in 15 months, with the final withdrawal made in May, 2016.
She claimed the money was taken out on average three times a week, with the amount ranging from $100 to $700 each time.
The woman said her mother declined quickly after the experience and was now in a residential home.
‘‘It was shocking how she changed, it was really, really sad. This case has broken my heart, knowing that my lovely, kind mum has been treated so [disrespectfully].’’
Grey Power national president Tom O’Connor said he sympathised with the victims, but keeping an eye on elderly loved ones could be difficult.
‘‘It’s a very, very hard one because the most precious thing people have when they grow older is their independence.’’
Elderly people were vulnerable because they were not used to dating, and would also be too embarrassed to admit being exploited.
Sergeant Nick Brunger said he was worried that Harding, who is believed to be in the Wellington area, may target other vulnerable women.
‘‘My main concern is he will take advantage of another vulnerable elderly lady.’’
Anyone with information on Harding’s whereabouts should contact Brunger on 06 349 0614 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.