Liverpool man jailed for defrauding couple out of more than £350,000
Damien Tideswell, 42, admitted two counts of fraud
Last updated 26th Jul 2024
A Liverpool man who defrauded a Chester couple out of more than £350,000 has been jailed for six and a half years.
Damien Tideswell, 42, of Hale Drive, told the couple he had sold land in London and that he had £3.5million in overseas accounts, but that his bank accounts had been frozen by HMRC.
He then asked to borrow money from them to pay stamp duty needed to release the money and insisted he'd pay them back, plus a bit more, as soon as his accounts were unfrozen.
He never did that and actually asked them for more money - which prompted the couple to go to the police.
Tideswell was arrested at his home in December 2021 and later pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
He was due to be sentenced in May, but failed to appear.
He was arrested five weeks later.
In moving impact statements, his victims said they were forced to remortgage their home and even sell precious family jewellery.
They also told the court that they were heartbroken and deeply ashamed - and that Tideswell has robbed them of future peace and enjoyment.
The judge described Tideswell as ‘morally bankrupt’ - adding that he’s caused ‘sheer misery’ through his ‘selfish and despicable actions.’
Detective Constable Gareth Yates, of the Economic Crime Unit at Cheshire Police, said:
"Tideswell preyed upon unsuspecting victims in an investment fraud scheme. He falsely represented himself, claiming he had purchased and sold a plot of land in London.
"On top of this, he further misled them by alleging that the funds of the sale had been frozen by the HMRC within his bank account - necessitating the need for additional money to release the purported proceeds of the land sale.
"In truth, the sale of land was entirely fictitious, serving merely as a facade to extort funds from his victims. The victims provided Tideswell with more than £350,000. This elaborate ruse was designed to finance a lifestyle far beyond his legitimate means."