Conman who duped partner into racking up £25k debt jailed

A conman who spun an elaborate web of lies to his girlfriend before taking her cash has been jailed.
Court newsCourt news
Court news

Debra Jeffries racked up more than £25,000 of debt after ex-partner Carl McKno, 39, of Lostock Lane, Lostock Hall, duped her into believing he was getting a hefty payout after losing his job.

He claimed he had been a Lancashire Police officer, and also said he worked for Thames Valley Police as a firearms officer, and convinced Ms Jeffries his wages were going into their joint account.

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But instead he used her cash to clear his own debts, Oxford Crown Court heard.

Ms Jeffries, 49, of Abington, Oxfordshire, only discovered McKno was ‘playing her along’ when police revealed he had never worked in the force’s firearms department.

The mother recalled feeling sick when the news began to sink in, despite initially refusing to believe the revelations.

In a statement read to the court, she said: “The happiness was completely and utterly destroyed in an instant when I received a visit from the police at work.

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“It has left me heartbroken and betrayed. I have been left feeling embarrassed and ashamed that I could be taken in and manipulated to believe such a level of lies.”

The pair had been in a relationship for almost a year, living together in Ms Jeffries’ home.

McKno claimed he lost his job after taking time off for stress but his employer had agreed to a £38,000 out-of-court settlement for unfair dismissal.

His victim began spending on her credit card, believing the ‘fictitious’ payout would clear the bill, prosecutor Alexandra Bull said.

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McKno then said he had joined Thames Valley Police on a fast-track basis at its Kidlington headquarters, and returned home to celebrate with a bottle of champagne.

During his spate of offending, McKno pretended almost £1,800 missing from one of the couple’s accounts had been fraudulently transferred to India, crafting a fake document on his computer.

He also borrowed cash from Ms Jeffries’ parents and pinched his partner’s TAG Heuer watch, pawning it for £400. The victim defaulted on her mortgage and missed repayments and chalked up debts and unpaid bills – all while paying for McKno’s lifestyle.

Judge Maria Lamb jailed him for 20 months.