Teacher duped by conman’s ‘IRA’ lies
John Atkinson said he ended up abandoning college, friends and family and handing over a fortune to his alleged tormentor.
Giving evidence from behind a specially erected partition to screen him from the defendant, the 34-year-old son of a wealthy north-country landowner said he could see how foolish he had been.
Robert Hendy-Freegard, 32 who allegedly pocketed a further £200,000 plus from other victims a pub landlord-cum-car salesman of High Street, Blyth, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire, denies a 21-count indictment featuring allegations of kidnapping by force or fraud, theft, deception, assaults and threats to kill.
Mr Atkinson said his alleged ordeal began in the autumn of 1992 while a student at Harper Adams Agricultural College in Newport, Shropshire.
He was nearing the end of a three-year degree course when he met the defendant, then a barman.
He claimed, Hendy-Freegard told him he was an undercover policeman investigating an IRA cell at the college, and asked him to compile a list of suspects.
"Once this paranoia starts getting in there you see ghosts and ghouls everywhere and I started to believe him," said Mr Atkinson.
After that the defendant allegedly "turned the pressure on and said he wanted to recruit me to crack the IRA cell".
He agreed and took what he thought was a temporary break from studies as he awaited "police training".
"I was soft, I had never been in a fight before, so he said he would need to toughen me up."
Mr Atkinson told the jury a number of blindfolded sessions followed when he was taught "not to react" as the defendant punched him repeatedly in the face.
Other "tests" were set. These included briefly returning to college, "telling somebody I loved them and trying to kiss them", dressing effeminately and sporting a silly haircut.
By this time he had "alienated" himself from all his student pals with the exception of Sarah Smith and Maria Hendy, who also allegedly fell for the defendant's world of fantasy.
Mr Atkinson claimed that shortly afterwards the bogus policeman announced the IRA were after all four of them and they had to flee without delay.
In the months that followed they were allegedly forced to "estrange ourselves from our families", and forbidden to socialise.
In addition, he claimed, they were duped into emptying their bank accounts and giving every penny to Hendy-Freegard in the belief it would prevent the IRA from tracking them down.
Eventually, his alleged tormentor found them a flat in Sheffield unable to leave the place without permission, they spent the next five months there.
The trial was adjourned until today.
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