British love fraudster jailed for five years after Swiss extradition
The suspect was arrested in Wädenswil, a town 20km south of Zurich
Keystone
A British man has been jailed in the UK for five years and eight months for swindling his ex-girlfriend out of her life savings. The man was extradited to the UK from Switzerland earlier this year after nearly two years on the run.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/BBC/Guardian/Sky/sb
Mark Acklom, 45, had duped Carolyn Woods into lending him £300,000 (CHF355,459) while pretending to be in a “committed relationship” with her and leading her to believe that marriage was imminent. However, he was still living with his wife and two children.
At Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, Acklom pleaded guilty to five fraud charges. He was jailed for five years and eight months.
The conman, who posed as a Swiss banker and secret service agent, had defrauded Woods out of her finances, acting in a calculated way to leave her “totally helpless”, she said in a statement at the court. He skipped the country at the end of their yearlong relationship in Bath in 2012 leaving her penniless.
Acklom was placed on the “most wanted” list for British fugitives. A European arrest warrant was issued in June 2016. There were reports that he had fled the country to Spain and later to Switzerland.
In 2017, the authorities located him in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was believed to have lived with his family (wife and two children). In July 2018, police arrested him at a luxury apartment near Lake Zurich where media reported him running a firm claiming to make black box data recorders for driverless cars. He was extradited to the UK from Switzerland earlier this year to face the fraud charges.
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Swiss president visits region affected by glacier collapse
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter spoke with communities affected by the Birch glacier collapse, which buried the village of Blatten.
This content was published on
On Saturday the Lake Geneva, Valais and Basel regions are expected to record the first tropical day of the year, with temperatures exceeding 30°C.
This content was published on
The Swiss economy saw the clouds that had gathered over its prospects lift somewhat in May. However, the KOF economic barometer is still below its long-term average.
Direct operations too dangerous in Swiss landslide valley
This content was published on
By Friday morning 365 people had been forced to leave their homes because of Wednesday's landslide in the Swiss village of Blatten.
Franco-Swiss raclette war set to be settled on Sunday
This content was published on
The battle for the world's largest raclette will be transformed on Sunday in Saint-Gingolph, canton Valais, into a raclette of friendship served at the border.
Flood risk threatens Swiss valley after ‘millennium event’ glacier collapse
This content was published on
Two days after a gigantic avalanche of ice, mud and debris buried much of the village of Blatten in canton Valais, the danger is not over.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.