AN ONLINE dating fraudster, who wrecked the lives of two vulnerable women after conning them out of a quarter of a million pounds, has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

Gambling addict Tahmoor Khan, 32, was told by a judge that his offending was underpinned by “sheer wickedness”.

Judge Neil Davey QC said: “You took advantage of their professional and social vulnerability.

"n order to improve the quality of your own life, you have ruined theirs. You did so entirely cynically, entirely without shame and entirely without mercy.”

Bradford Crown Court heard today how Khan, of Bude Road, West Bowling, who had amassed £80,000 gambling debts at casinos, posed as a wealthy businessman to take advantage of two women he contacted through the dating website singlemuslims.com.

He told one victim he was the owner of a car hire business, had a £2 million fortune and owned a Bentley.

Prosecutor Simon Waley said Khan told the woman his intentions were to find a wife. She formed the view they would be getting married.

As their relationship developed, he falsely told her he had cash flow problems with his business and asked her for money to help him, promising to pay her back.

She began to transfer funds and, said Mr Waley, “succumbed to his persuasion time and again”.

Khan persuaded her to pay a £4,000 deposit to lease a Land Rover, which he took possession of. When the hire purchase company threatened to repossess the vehicle, she paid more than £50,000 to buy it.

Khan promised to sell it and pay her the proceeds but she never received any funds.

She remained £116,000 out of pocket.

Khan targeted the second woman in the same way, after contacting her through the website, claiming to own a number of hire car companies across the UK and saying he was a wealthy man “with a few million in his bank accounts.

He told her his assets were frozen and she agreed to lend him money to help with his business, after he promised to pay her back.

A few months later he asked for more money for a business deal and she transferred £20,500.

After telling her he would set a wedding date, he persuaded her to pay £50,000 to him from equity on her property, but the money was not repaid.

She was left £125,000 out of pocket and eventually reported matters to police.

Khan was arrested and admitted owing money but denied committing fraud.

Mr Waley said it was extremely difficult for both women to confide in other people.

Judge Davey told Khan, who pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation, he had preyed on his victims’ vulnerability, and their cultural background meant they could not tell others what was happening for fear of bringing shame on themselves and their families.

He said there had been serious detrimental effects on both victims, financially and psychologically, and read lengthy extracts from the two women’s victim personal statements.

One of them said she was terrified it would become public knowledge, and would be seen as extremely shameful as a Pakistani woman. She was likely to have been ostracised by her community. She said he was able to use cultural constraints to manipulate her.

The woman said she had become depressed and unable to eat, falling from a size ten to size six and had suicidal thoughts.

She would sit at a tube station, thinking over and over again about jumping in front of a train and ending her life. She now found it impossible to have a relationship because she could no longer trust anybody.

The second woman had made two suicide attempts. She was depressed and ashamed and had relocated from her home in Manchester to another part of the country.

Judge Davey told Khan he had looked for vulnerable victims and had found them on a website where women were looking for love and marriage.

Khan’s barrister, Roderick Johnson QC, said a factor behind the offences was his client’s addiction to gambling at casinos, and he had £80,000 losses with one company.

He said Khan was living in a Walter Mitty world of deception and self-deception. He recognised there was an element of greed and cockiness to his behaviour.

But Mr Johnson said Khan had pleaded guilty, sparing the women the ordeal of giving evidence.

After the case, Samantha Davidson, Senior Crown Prosecutor in the complex casework unit for CPS Yorkshire, said: “His intentions towards both women were calculated and dishonest from the outset.

"Having met them on an online dating site, he pursued both women at the same time and led both to believe that he was a millionaire businessman who was serious in his intention to marry.

“He told them his assets had been temporarily frozen, and he urgently needed money. They believed and trusted him, and he utterly abused that trust.

“His actions have not only caused his victims tremendous financial loss but also considerable anguish.”

He convinced her they were to be married and tricked her into giving him money to help his business.

Detective Constable Sarah Hamer, of Bradford CID, added: “Khan’s victims were vulnerable and very brave to come forwards.

"We hope seeing today’s sentence and seeing this man put behind bars will bring them some comfort.”