Pensioner duped by Ian Beale lookalike says life has been ‘ruined’
- John Eric Wells fleeced victims out of their life financial savings earlier than fleeing to Asia
- Hazel Wilkins stated she compelled to promote dwelling home after he allegedly tricked her
A pensioner duped out of her life financial savings by an ‘evil’ Ian Beale lookalike says her life has been ‘ruined’ – as police ramp up the hunt for the fraudster.
Hazel Wilkins, 74, is in a care dwelling, however earlier than she fell in poor health, she instructed The Mirror how she was compelled to promote her dwelling after John Eric Wells allegedly tricked her to get her life financial savings.
‘That man has ruined my life and who is aware of what number of others,’ she stated. ‘I had a stunning household dwelling, and a fantastic job and I used to be blissful after I met him.
‘Now I’ve nothing and I’ll by no means be blissful once more. It’s too late to get again what he has taken from me. I hate him a lot and I take into consideration him and what he has executed to me and my household each second of every single day. He is the satan incarnate to me.’
It comes as police have stepped up the seek for Wells, who has been on the run for almost 5 years after conning lonely girls out of £400,000.
Police are trying to find the ‘Casanova conman’ who robbed lonely girls out f their life financial savings
Victim Hazel Wilkins appeared on This Morning in 2019 to inform how she met Wells on-line
Hazel’s daughter, Lynsey, stated he’s liable for her mom’s plight, claiming that it gave her PTSD and ‘destroyed’ her.
South Yorkshire Police first launched an attraction for ‘Casanova Conman’ Wells in September 2019.
Despite resembling one among British tv’s most iconic characters – performed by Adam Woodyatt on Eastenders for many years – he is managed to evade arrest for greater than 4 years.
Wells, who’s in his 60s, can be believed to go by the names Howard Walmsley and Howard Hemmings and is needed in reference to three romance frauds.
It is claimed he fleeced his victims out of their total life financial savings by sweeping them off their ft and occurring a spending spree with their cash.
Victim Hazel appeared on This Morning in 2019 to inform how she met Wells on-line.
Despite John Eric Wells resembling one among British television’s most iconic characters – performed by Adam Woodyatt on Eastenders for many years – he is managed to evade arrest for greater than 4 years
He began asking her for cash once they entered a relationship in 2014 and later took out loans in her title earlier than fleeing, leaving her in a mountain of debt.
The conman promised Ms Wilkins he would purchase her and her two daughters houses solely to again out on the las minute leaving one among them homeless shortly after she gave beginning.
Ms Wilkins then bought her personal home to get a brand new place the place her daughter and grandchild might dwell together with her.
She additionally instructed the paper she has paid again £17,000 in loans he took out in her title since he disappeared, which has lower her pension in half.
Wells additionally ‘cancelled their wedding ceremony plans 5 instances’, instructed her he ‘owned dozens of accommodations all over the world’ and claimed he had most cancers, based on the grandmother.
But she believes at any time when he went ‘abroad’ he was truly again in his hometown of Doncaster.
Ms Wilkins stated she has since been in contact with one other girl who instructed her Wells carried out an ‘similar rip-off’ on her.
Wells was jailed for 3 years after faking an £8.9million lottery win in 1996. He later claimed it was an try to save lots of his marriage to spouse Kathy, pictured with him in 2001 outdoors court docket
Kemp starred alongside ex-EastEnders actress Michelle Collins as Wells’ spouse Kathy
Wells had beforehand been jailed for 3 years after faking an £8.9million lottery win, later claiming the rip-off was an try to save lots of his marriage.
He conned banks, a solicitor, an architect, a automobile agency and two girls mates out of £53,000 in complete.
The plot was changed into the movie Can’t Buy Me Love, penned by EastEnders’ author Tony Jordan and starring Martin Kemp.
His crime was later changed into an ITV film referred to as Can’t Buy Me Love in 2004 starring Martin Kemp because the painter/decorator
The 64-year-old was tracked all the way down to a bar in Vietnam by The Mirror in 2019 after it was believed he fled the nation to be along with his rich lover in Asia.
Wells is claimed to be working a bar purchased for him by a rich hotelier. But a former buddy of ‘the pure born liar’ says she could possibly be his subsequent sufferer.
‘He’s nonetheless in Asia and is supported by her. She’s a wealthy woman from Vietnam. She paid about £23,000 money to purchase him that bar,’ the unnamed buddy instructed The Mirror.
The bar’s proprietor stated Wells left three months in the past when she took over and renovated the property. She claimed he returned to England after the bar received in to problem.
But mates say he’s serving to his lover renovate the bar whereas entertaining revellers with karaoke, and his Facebook web page lists his location as Dubai.
Judge Jane Shipley, who jailed him at Sheffield Crown Court in 2001, instructed him he lived in a ‘fantasy world’.
She added: ‘You wished to aspire to the excessive life and seem profitable, however you appear to lack what it takes to be a profitable entrepreneur.’
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police confirmed Wells was nonetheless wished, saying: ‘Police wish to hear from anybody who has seen or spoken to Wells not too long ago, or has info which can assist officers with their enquiries.
‘It is feasible Wells is at the moment dwelling outdoors the UK. If you see him, or you’ve gotten any info which can assist, please name South Yorkshire Police on 101.’
