Man who forged contract with Paris Saint-Germain to scam in-laws out of £1.8m jailed

A “grandiose narcissist” who claimed to have a business deal with football club Paris Saint-Germain to scam his in-laws and a commercial loan company out of more than £3m has been jailed.

In August 2018, Edward Blackmore, 45, of Holt, Wiltshire, dishonestly claimed that his company OGC Sport Investments had agreed a multi-million-pound services contract with PSG, forging the stamp and signature of a lawyer to make the contract believable.

He then used the PSG ‘contract’ to secure an interest-free loan from his in-laws of £1.8m in order to purchase Beechwood House, a Grade II-listed house in Widcombe, Bath, assuring them the loan would be repaid “shortly”. 

At the same time in August 2018, Blackmore took out a short-term bridging loan of £1.68m from a finance company, again using the PSG ‘contract’ as assurance of income, as well as forging his then wife’s signature on an associated tenancy agreement, to purchase the house.

Over the next 18 months, Blackmore repeatedly defaulted on the loan from his in-laws, claiming the money from PSG had been paid into the wrong account, and that the bank had frozen the payment, as well as other lies in an attempt to stall repayment.

He also defaulted on the loan with the finance company after paying back just £76,000 in three monthly payments.

Receivers were appointed on behalf of the company, and Blackmore, his wife and their young children were evicted from the house, which was then sold to repay the finance company’s loan. However, Blackmore’s in-laws were never paid back. 

Blackmore was subsequently reported to Action Fraud by his in-laws, which then referred the case to the Wiltshire Police Complex Fraud Team.

He was later charged and pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation: two relating to fraudulent claims against his in-laws and one against the finance company.

In a hearing at Swindon Crown Court today (21/02), he was jailed for six years and eight months.

In a Victim Personal Statement, Blackmore’s mother-in-law said: “Mr Blackmore’s deception has had a profound effect on our entire family – physically, emotionally, psychologically and financially.

“We continue to struggle to comprehend the utter betrayal, having embraced Mr Blackmore into our family.

“Emotionally, my trust has been broken and I feel totally betrayed by this grandiose narcissist.

“My husband has worked hard his entire working life and we had plans for our retirement. We had dreams of ‘our time’ – travelling the world together, treating our children and grandchildren, and making memories. Mr Blackmore has denied us of this.

“Mr Blackmore’s total lack of remorse, respect, explanation or apology is simply incomprehensible to us, and totally unacceptable.

“He has left a trail of destruction, and we are the ones now having to pick our way through the mess.”

In a Victim Personal Statement, Blackmore’s wife, who has since filed for divorce, said: “When I exchanged wedding vows, I believed I was entering a partnership built on trust, honesty and mutual respect. Instead, I became the victim of a calculated betrayal that has shattered my life.

“The financial damage has been devastating. Before I got married, I had two properties of my own, I had savings, and I was financially stable.

“Today, I am a single mum working full time, living in rented accommodation, with no savings, trying to make ends meet.

“My mum and dad's peaceful retirement has been stolen from them.

“His impact extends far beyond me. My children have been silent victims. Their home was taken away from them.

“The future I had planned for my children has been stolen. However, I will work hard to rebuild and restore everything he has destroyed.”

DC Rachael Fairbairn of the Complex Fraud Team said: “Blackmore betrayed not just his wife and his children but his wider family too, depriving them of financial freedom.

“As with so many complex frauds, the lies from Blackmore were seemingly endless, well beyond the securing of the very substantial loans from his in-laws and the finance company.

“His actions have taken a significant toll on the victims. I hope today’s sentence can bring a sense of closure for them and they can start to rebuild their lives.”

Confiscation proceedings will now commence under the Proceeds of Crime Act in an attempt to secure compensation.