Serial conman posed as top lawyer

Bint (l) pretended to be DPP Keir Starmer (r) to attract women

A career conman who posed as a leading government lawyer to attract women has been found guilty of fraud and theft.

Paul Bint, 47, of no fixed address, told women he met through lonely hearts adverts that he was Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC.

Prosecutors said he boasted of living in a riverside penthouse, and owning luxury cars including an Aston Martin from the James Bond film Goldeneye.

Bint was convicted of five offences and cleared of 11 at Southwark Crown Court.

During the trial, Bint admitted to impersonating successful professionals over the past 30 years but insisted that on this occasion he had done nothing wrong.

Robing room

He told jurors he was interested to see whether his latest "friendships" could develop into something long-lasting, but his affection had been repaid with lies.

The court heard that when he discovered one of his dates was interested in another man, he scrawled a derogatory word on the side of her home, and blamed it on his rival.

It makes me feel very good that someone thinks I am a good person and I'm successful Paul Bint The many faces of a serial conman

Bint, dubbed King Con by the tabloid press, told the court he was abused as a child and said he took on other identities because he cared what others thought of him.

"It makes me feel very good that someone thinks I am a good person and I'm successful," he said.

The jury found Bint guilty of committing two counts of fraud by false representation - for cheating a taxi driver of a £60 fare and using one of his victim's credit cards.

He was also convicted of stealing a bracelet; burgling the robing room at St Alban's Crown Court and stealing a barrister's laptop; and test driving a £59,000 Audi while disqualified.

Jurors cleared him of seven counts of credit card fraud and four of driving while disqualified, one on the judge's direction.

Bint was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 3 November.