Gloucestershire con man jailed

A Gloucestershire man who conned thousands of pounds from a single mum and raped a schoolgirl, has been jailed for 18 years.

47 year old Alexander Marc De Rothschild-Hatton, from Cirencester, was found guilty of obtaining money and property by deception by a jury at Bristol Crown Court and sentenced to 3 years.

He was also given a 15 year sentence for a number of sexual offences, of which he was convicted in May 2009. The sentences will run consecutively.

Rothschild-Hatton carried out his con by pretending to be the illegitimate son of financier
Edmund De Rothschild .

Commenting on the case, CPS District Crown Prosecutor Rachael Scott said:

"Mr De Rothschild's modus operandi was to charm his way into the lives of rich divorcees and bleed them dry of their assets.

"For years he lived a sort of 'Walter Mitty' existence, claiming to be the son of one of the famous De Rothschild family who just happened to have been adopted by a Cirencester family. He created a fantasy world in which he dealt in high finance, was educated at Eton and Oxford and had an illustrious business career. He was however no more than a glorified con-man, dressed in expensive trappings at the expense of his victims, living in his parent's house in Cirencester.

"His lifestyle was funded by deceiving women he entered into relationships with. Between 2003 and 2006 he received in excess of £220,000 from Christine Handy.

"We worked closely with Gloucestershire Constabulary to bring Mr De Rothschild to justice. These were very serious offences and it is testament to the hard work of the whole prosecution team that the jury today returned a guilty verdict. This conviction marks the end of a three year investigation by the Gloucestershire Constabulary and a five year old ordeal from Mrs Handy."