A CONMAN who claimed to be working for the secret services while stealing more than £21,000 from his partner’s credit card accounts has been spared jail.

Mark Freeman began a relationship with his victim in September 2012 having met her on an online dating site, and he grew close to her and her three children over the 18 months or so they lived together in Wimborne.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard on Monday that the 52-year-old told his partner he had served in the armed forces and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and he was now working for “British Intelligence”.

But this was untrue, and over the time they were together he secretly used her credit cards to withdraw money and buy goods, and took out new cards in her name and that of her son, 13.

“Your actions were those of a person carrying out a serious fraud,” said Recorder Jeremy Wright, handing Freeman a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years, with an unpaid work requirement.

“I am not convinced by your remorse, not convinced by what you have been saying, as you started off by giving yourself a completely false identity.”

The fraud was exposed when the family found letters regarding applications for credit cards made out in the victim’s name, with the documents Freeman had sent off to confirm her identity. When confronted he fled the house.

The court heard Freeman was due to inherit some £17,500 and that this would be used to partially compensate his victim and the banks which reimbursed her.