Bigamist 'acted like Mr Perfect'

Sangster married Jan Wallace (right) while he was still with Jill Sangster

A woman who married a man who has been jailed for bigamy and forgery says he "moulded himself into Mr Perfect" to win her affections.

Roderick Sangster, 58, was jailed for three years on Friday after being convicted in his absence.

Jan Wallace married Sangster in 2004 and lived with him in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, without knowing he was still married to Jill Sangster.

Sangster left both women with huge debts, his trial heard.

Sangster, a former church minister and policeman, had been on the run and was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court after handing himself in last week.

Ms Wallace, who was previously called Jan Pollard, said Sangster charmed her after she met him over the internet.

"The first time I met him he offered me a day trip to Rome the following week, which I couldn't resist - I'd never been to Italy," she told BBC Radio Five Live.

I had no intentions of getting married again whatsoever. I decided I didn't do relationships very well because I'd already had two divorces Jan Wallace

"So it really went from there."

Ms Wallace said she had not been looking for a serious relationship at the time.

"He must have just found what I wanted or needed from a partner," she said.

"I had no intentions of getting married again whatsoever. I decided I didn't do relationships very well because I'd already had two divorces. I was just looking for friendship.

"But he moulded himself into Mr Perfect."

The court heard during the trial that Ms Wallace was left with a bill for £55,000 after Sangster ran away on the day he claimed he was due to be paid in a fictitious £107,500 book deal.

Ms Wallace told BBC News Sangster revealed he was £20,000 in debt shortly before they got married and she took out a loan to help him out.

She said she believed he had built up the debts to "fund a fantasy lifestyle".

Ms Wallace said she discovered Sangster's history after he "disappeared" from her life in February 2006.

She then made contact with Jill Sangster who "dropped the bombshell" that the pair were still married.

Mrs Sangster had been forced to declare herself bankrupt after discovering her husband had run up a debt of £30,000.

Sangster was also sentenced to 12 months for forgery and two months for failing to attend his trial, both to run concurrently.