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A HAPLESS fraudster who seduced a single mother by claiming he was a millionaire pop songwriter has escaped jail.

Kevin Boucher was handed a six-month suspended sentence after writing thousands of pounds worth of fake cheques to convince his girlfriend he was a wealthy musician.

The 53-year-old, who was really a poorly paid recruitment consultant living above a flower shop in Wanstead High Street, told lover Louise Fuller that he had written music for various stars, such as 1960s guitarist, Jimi Hendrix.

He convinced her to fork out thousands of pounds on property surveys and house searches after promising to buy a mansion for her and her family.

Boucher backed up his claims by using a chequebook stolen from the shop of a friend, in Winchmore Hill, north London, and signing £13,000-worth of cheques, all of which bounced.

The conman even bought his lover a new veranda for her caravan in Suffolk, giving a cheque to the park owners for £2,000 which then bounced when they tried to cash it.

He took Ms Fuller on a luxury holiday to Tenerife, where he admitted to having cash flow problems and asked for a loan from her children's bank accounts.

Ms Fuller refused Boucher's request so he turned to her elderly father, Keith Turkington, who lent him £3,000.

The cash-strapped mum was forced to take out a loan to cover the debt when Boucher's cheque bounced.

Bank staff alerted police who arrested him when he returned to the UK with Ms Fuller's family.

Snaresbrook Crown court heard how Boucher had been using a chequebook stolen from a shop owned by his friend, Dennis Oakes.

The shop closed down in July last year and Mr Oakes did not find out that the Boucher had stolen the company cheque book until August.

The conman pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by representation, and was given a six month jail term suspended for 18 months.

Ms Fuller has since rekindled her relationship with Boucher despite falling victim to his scam.

Dominic Cox, defending, said his client turned to crime after his partner of 17 years died.

He said: "At the time when he met Ms Fuller he was going through a very difficult emotional time himself.

"The myth got bigger and bigger. He lost the plot."

Boucher had previously been jailed in the 1980s for obtaining money by deception.

4:20pm Monday 21st April 2008

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