Vulnerable by ‘Walter
THEY thought he was the man of their dreams but scoundrel Mark Tuthill was a conman who would say anything to get his hands on their money.
The predatory Walter Mitty-style character spun a web of lies to ensnare three vulnerable women into believing they would live happily ever after with him.
The long-haired love rat claimed he was a high-flying barrister with the Crown Prosecution Service, said he had a £600,000 house in Gosforth and even pretended to own a race horse.
But in fact it was all a fantasy and the reality was he was so poor he had been living in hostels. es so he could see his son.”
A court heard he met two of his victims In total the woman says she gave on dating website Plenty of Fish, while a £5,921 to Tuthill on the understanding third was running a village Post Office in he would pay her back. He says the value Northumberland when she fell for his of the fraud was more like £3,200 and charms. claims to have done work for her valued
Now Tuthill, who fleeced the women at £2,500. out of up to £19,000, has been jailed at When the relationship petered out, Newcastle Crown Court after he admitshe tried remaining friends with him in ted three offences of fraud. order to get her money back but when
Prosecutor Neil Pallister said: “All ever he arranged to meet her to supposthree were told lies about his financial edly settle up, he cancelled or fobbed her situation. off.
“He extracted money from them and She said: “He could see my vulnerabilpreyed on their vulnerability.” ity as an opportunity to manipulate me
The first victim, in her 30s, got to know and extract money. That makes me feel Tuthill as he would call into the post sick. office she was running while he was “I believed he was a good guy. He working on a building site nearby. spoon-fed me a pack of lies.
She had suffered a traumatic time in “He convinced me I should be getting her life when he began to target her. married and having children. He left me
Mr Pallister said: “He told her what utterly bereft. were undoubted lies, and she believed “I was taken advantage of financially him, about having a house in Durham or and sexually. I feel disgusted I have been Sunderland and that he had £50,000 tied intimate with a person capable of doing up in an ISA account. what he had done.”
“He gave the impression he was a Tuthill met his second victim, a wealthy man but said his savings were 41-year-old special needs teacher who’d tied up and used that as an excuse to had gastric band surgery, on Plenty of supposedly borrow money. Fish in July 2015 and spun her a cata
“He clearly had no intention of paying logue of lies. it back.” Mr Pallister told the court: “He told
Tuthill told the woman he needed to her he was a successful barrister with the borrow £3,000 to buy a van for his busiCPS, working in a specialist department, ness. Mr Pallister said: “She believed that he owned a house in Gosforth and a him. race horse.
“He said everything would work out “He persuaded her to give him money and they would live towards funding the race happily ever after. horse he claimed he had
“She gave him and she transferred money for hotel bills £1,000. and he would promise “He told her he was a to pay half back but successful lawyer with a that never materialmonthly income of ised. £14,380 and was expect
“One Christmas, he ing a lump sum of £50,000. said he had no money “Sadly, she believed his for presents for a son lies. he had and he bor“During the relationrowed upwards of ship she continued to give £1,000 him money.
“She was later told “He said he would get a his partner stopped substantial sum on retirehim having access to ment which would secure his son and she agreed their financial future to pay £500 which he together. told her was going “She never towards legal expens- money back.” VICTIM got the