TO HIS friends, Paul Garland was a successful football dealmaker who led a lavish lifestyle of fast cars and luxury holidays.
But his life was a lie financed by his neighbours, who he swindled out of more than £150,000 to support his expensive tastes.
Now he is facing a lengthy jail term after he admitted conning Brian Manley, of Balfour Way, Strensall, out of his savings and leaving him in financial ruin.
Mr Manley said: "It has just been hell, the worst years of our lives. He was just so callous. He planned it and orchestrated it."
Garland, 39, formerly of Balfour Way, but now of Park Road, Hale, in Cheshire, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of obtaining property by deception at York Crown Court on Thursday.
In court, Jerome Lynch, mitigating, said: "There is no doubt in this man's mind that he faces a substantial period in custody."
Garland squandered the couple's savings on luxury items including a soft-top Porsche 911, a Range Rover and lavish holidays to Florida, Mauritius and a villa in Monaco.
The conman boasted of how he spent £2,000 a week on his girlfriend.
He lured Mr Manley, 50, a printer, and his wife Philippa, 45, into a bogus investment scheme soon after moving next door to the couple, who have a son Matthew, 22, and daughter Melanie, 20.
He befriended the family and started playing golf with Mr Manley.
"He was very charming," he said. "We socialised and used to go to the pub with him. We used to treat his children.
"He came here for meals and we went to his house for a drink. We thought he was genuine."
Garland flaunted his wealth, said his company Finance For Sport Worldwide Ltd was booming, and offered the couple the chance to invest in it.
He claimed the firm was financing transfer deals with top-flight football clubs including Liverpool, Dundee United, Sunderland, Manchester City and QPR.
The conman has been associated with Leeds United as a sports investment broker for a number of years, although he no longer works with the club.
He stepped in to help refinance the club following their relegation from the Premiership last May.
He was also a leading figure in an unsuccessful American-backed takeover deal by Nova Financial Partners in November.
He offered Mr Manley a 30 per cent return on his cash, claiming London-based brokers Houlders Insurance - a real firm with no connection to Garland - had offered him a high interest investment opportunity.
"We believed him because we thought he was a genuine guy," Mr Manley said. "Chairmen of football clubs believe him. When it comes to conmen he is pretty much up there, he is an artist."
Garland took £20,000 from the couple in January 2001 and went back to the family for ten more payments until February 2002 by which time they had handed over £164,000 in total.
"The alarm bells started ringing because he had just gone out of the country and was really messing us about," Mr Manley said.
The couple say they have lost their retirement savings and will have to sell their house to stay afloat. They say they cannot afford to support their children through university.
"He is just the lowest of the low," Mr Manley said. "He is evil because he just does not care about anybody but himself."
Garland is due to be sentenced by York Crown Court on January 13.
Updated: 08:37 Tuesday, November 22, 2005
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