Man who scammed in-laws out of £1.8m with ‘football business deal’ jailed

A man has been jailed after scamming his in-laws out of £1.8 million with a fake business deal he claimed to have forged with football club Paris Saint-Germain.

Edward Blackmore, 45, dishonestly claimed his company, OGC Sport Investments, had agreed a multi-million-pound services contract with the French team in August 2018, Wiltshire Police said.

He then used the fabricated contract as assurance of income to secure loans from his in-laws and a finance company, scamming both out of £3.4 million in total.

Blackmore, of Holt, Wiltshire, forged the stamp and signature of a lawyer to make the contract believable, the force said.

His family described him in victim statements as a “grandiose narcissist” who had carried out “a calculated betrayal”.

Using the £1.8 million interest-free loan from his in-laws, Blackmore purchased a Grade II-listed house in Widcombe, Bath, and assured them the loan would be repaid “shortly”.

He forged his wife’s signature on an associated tenancy agreement to purchase the house.

Claims that the money from PSG had been paid into the wrong account and the bank had frozen the payment were used by Blackmore to stall re-paying his in-laws over the next 18 months, Wiltshire Police said.

Only £76,000 out of a £1.68 million bridging loan from a finance company was also paid back, leading to Blackmore, his wife and their young children being evicted from the house before it was sold.

Blackmore’s in-laws, who were never paid back, reported him to Action Fraud who referred the case to Wiltshire Police’s Complex Fraud Team.

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

Blackmore was jailed for six years and eight months at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, Wiltshire Police said.

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.”

She said the scam had denied her and her family of fulfilling their retirement plans, adding: “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.”

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.”

She added: “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 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.”