A fraudster who was arrested last week faces an investigation to determine if he hid some of the money he stole from a former diplomat and her daughter.
Aurice Kelly, originally from Bangor, has been sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison for cheating Sarah Robertson out of more than £200,000.
He was also under investigation for defrauding his victim’s mother, a former adviser to the UN Secretary-General, out of between £1.2million and £1.4million through bogus investments.
After Patsy Robertson died in August 2020 at the age of 86, prosecutions did not continue.
Introduced to the women by a relative, Kelly promised a huge return on their investment when in reality the money went to fund his lavish lifestyle, including gifts for a number of much younger friends.
Sarah Robertson said she will continue to fight for justice and has asked for a bankruptcy service to investigate the whereabouts of the scammed money.
She vowed to keep “putting pressure on the authorities” and urged the government to do more to tackle white-collar crime.
After moving to London from Northern Ireland, Kelly mingled with elite circles and claimed to be a successful property investor.
He worked in posh offices in Mayfair and drove high-end cars, but it was all paid for with money swindled by his victims, who never saw a return on their sizable investments.
Patsy Robertson was a big name in diplomatic circles. She was instrumental in changing Britain’s attitude towards South Africa’s apartheid regime, using her vast network of journalist friends to challenge those in power.
She trusted Kelly, but that trust was betrayed when he failed to give her a return on her investment.
Sarah Robertson lost her home in London to the scam but legally pursued Kelly until he was finally convicted and sentenced last week.
She said she could see in hindsight that she and her mother were “groomed” to believe the scammer’s stories were true.
“He was flashy and had a lifestyle that seemed to support his claims that he was a successful investor,” she added.
“There was a web of sophisticated lies. I still don’t know if the money is gone or if something is hidden abroad.”
Instead of investing the money, Kelly used it to impress much younger girlfriends.
He spent more than £4,000 on a partner’s 30th birthday and supported another’s acting career by spending £26,000 on her TV pilot.
On one occasion, he even spent £130,000 to cover a forfeiture of a drug conviction at Brighton Crown Court.
He also bought a £50,000 sports car, a £60,000 Land Rover and helped his friend buy a vehicle with a further £50,000.
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