Romance fraudster to stand trial for conning six women out of nearly £600,000

A man accused of running a long-running dating-site romance scam is due to stand trial after allegedly conning six women out of nearly £600,000. Marc Cole-Jones, 52, who also uses the names Marc Cole, Marcus Cole-Jones and Marc Sands, is charged with fraud by misrepresentation totalling £595,791, with the alleged offences carried out against women across the United Kingdom.

Prosecutors say the victims, who lived in Cheshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Lancashire, Manchester and the West Midlands, handed over life savings or took on loans after being emotionally manipulated. One woman handed over £20,000 after he allegedly emotionally blackmailed her into believing someone had been to his house and murdered his dog. He allegedly told another woman he was in difficulties with an organised crime gang. A third woman agreed to buy him a £75,000 canal boat, which he allegedly then sold for a profit without her knowledge.

It is claimed that some of the women, who live in Cheshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Lancashire, Manchester and the West Midlands, handed over their life savings, while others took out bank loans for Cole-Jones.

Today he appeared at Chester Crown Court for a short hearing, where he spoke only to confirm his name and address. He did not enter pleas to any of the 22 counts of fraud through misrepresentation, totalling £595,791, that have been brought following an investigation by Cheshire Police's economic crime unit. Prosecutor Denise Fitzpatrick and defence barrister Daffyd Roberts made a joint application for the case to be adjourned to a pre-trial plea and preparations hearing on February 5 next year, when a trial date will be fixed.

Marc Cole-Jones, 52, of Telford, Shropshire, was granted bail on condition that he provide police with details of his bank accounts and mobile phones. He was also ordered not to contact any of the six complainants in the case and must report to a police station every week.

An earlier hearing at Warrington Magistrates Court was told that Cole-Jones allegedly 'exploited' the women's trust 'for financial gain.' Neve Flynn, prosecuting, said: 'It is an abuse of trust over a significant period of time. There are a large number of victims.'