Jail for bigamist who stole from new wife’s family
A CONMAN who stole from his new wife’s family soon after getting married has been jailed... for bigamy.
Conman Mitchell Sharpe has been jailed for bigamy
Mitchell Sharpe, 44, had previously been involved in divorce proceedings but there was never a decree absolute, so that marriage never ended.
He met Lisa Buckingham, 39, on an online dating site and whisked her off on holiday to Portugal where he proposed to her in March 2014.
He deliberately lied to her about his previous marriage, Jonathan Wigodes, prosecuting said.
But two days after the wedding, Lisa received a Facebook message from another woman saying: “Good luck with that cocaine conman”, a court heard.
Lisa then discovered Sharpe had a string of convictions against him, and was due in court just days after their wedding in June.
He later defrauded her out of £8,000 and tried fraudulently to cash a cheque of her mother’s.
Mitchell Sharpe leaving Chesterfield Magistrates' Court with an unidentified woman
She ended the relationship, but allowed him to stay with her after he received a suspended sentence.
The main issue is the issue of deceit both to the register office and to the victim
She later trawled through his paperwork and discovered he was still married to another woman.
Sharpe, of Chaddesden, Derby, admitted bigamy and was jailed for five months at Derby Crown Court on Friday.
His current partner broke down in tears in the public gallery and he mouthed “I love you” to her as he was sent down.
Lisa Buckingham got married to bigamist Mitchell Sharpe in 2014 after meeting on a dating website
He will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.
Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “The main issue is the issue of deceit both to the register office and to the victim.
“I don’t accept that in effect this was just an administrative error.”
Lisa discovered that Mitchell had numerous convictions against him after receiving message a online
Later Lisa, who lives in Hucknall, Notts, said: “Before I knew about his fraudster ways he was the most charming person to live with.
“He was very attentive, it was like my life was one big film and I had finally found my fairytale ending.”
She said he had been diagnosed as a sociopath. His current partner Hayleigh Borrill, 44, was another innocent victim, she added.