My story on Tinder predator went live - then my phone rang. It was him

It began with a abbreviated email from a alien asking for assistance and it ended six years aboriginal with a convulsive fraudster and rapist being jailed for 12 years - acknowledgment to an unthinkable radical of women and their combat for justice.

It was 2017 and I was moving arsenic a paper newsman erstwhile I got the email from a pistillate who elaborate however she had met a antheral named Christopher Harkins connected Tinder and helium had stolen £3,247 from her.

Lisa, who is utilizing a pseudonym due to the fact that she doesn't privation to beryllium linked to this communicative forever, explained that Harkins had lovebombed her, suggested they spell connected vacation unneurotic and then, erstwhile she transferred the money, went quiet.

It rapidly transpired the vacation wasn't existent and Harkins would not refund the cash.

Lisa was acrophobic Harkins would spell connected to scam idiosyncratic else. It didn't hap to Lisa - oregon to maine - that it was a scam helium had already honed with experience.

Lisa had gone to Police Scotland for assistance and been told the contented was a civilian matter.

Frustrated, but determined, present she wanted to support different radical by exposing this antheral successful the press.

We spoke connected the telephone and she laid retired the situation, however he'd overwhelmed her with attention, had been the cleanable gentleman. And however things had rapidly changed erstwhile helium decided to propulsion her for money.

Lisa, a smart, impressive, nonrecreational pistillate successful her 30s, provided screenshots of WhatsApp conversations and slope relationship details.

It was wide precise rapidly that this antheral was a maestro manipulator but it wasn't until I spoke to him connected the telephone that I realised however skilled helium was astatine the practice.

Tracking him down was the hard part.

Lisa had told Harkins that she had spoken to a writer and helium was, let's say, unimpressed.

He promised repeatedly to springiness her the wealth backmost if she enactment a halt to the communicative - but didn't really marque a determination to instrumentality the cash.

When I called him - connected the 2 numbers I had for him - helium didn't reply.

Lisa's communicative was credible, and she had hard evidence, but we wanted to talk to Harkins to perceive his side.

Suddenly, Lisa was successful interaction to accidental Harkins had agreed to instrumentality her money. She was to conscionable him astatine a spot store connected the southbound broadside of Glasgow.

I went with her, waiting extracurricular with a lensman to effort to talk to Harkins.

The wealth was determination successful an envelope. There was nary motion of him though.

We decided to people the story, having tried each we could to way him down. And past my telephone rang. It was Harkins.

Speaking to him was a baffling experience. It was hard to support him connected track.

He would authorities 1 happening and then, erstwhile challenged, precise rapidly alteration his position.

He tried to transportation maine that Lisa was threatening him and helium was frightened of her.

Harkins had had his accidental to person his accidental - and we published the story.

Within the hr of the nonfiction going online I had an email from different pistillate claiming to person been targeted by Harkins. And past another.

My telephone started ringing. I could archer arsenic soon arsenic I picked it up that this would beryllium different Harkins people - helium intelligibly had a type: astute and articulate.

Lisa, who I was updating each the time, was appalled. Neither of america had immoderate thought who prolific helium mightiness person been.

Some women wanted to archer their stories publically portion others conscionable wanted an outlet to stock what had happened to them.

I heard stories of fraud, of manipulation, of verbal maltreatment - and worse.

One caller was a antheral who had known Harkins successful his aboriginal 20s and warned maine to beryllium careful.

He claimed to person known Harkins to beryllium physically convulsive and wanted maine to cognize what I was dealing with.

We ran a 2nd communicative successful the paper.

This was different pistillate who had been conned by the vacation scam - this clip successful England. Harkins, successful turned out, had been operating crossed the country.

She mislaid £1,600 to the fake vacation con and had besides been pressured to instrumentality retired loans for him, which luckily she didn't do.

More than 20 women had contacted maine by present and I had interviewed respective who wanted to spell public, proceeding dreadful stories of fraud but besides carnal and intersexual violence.

Many had gone to the constabulary lone to beryllium told - arsenic Lisa had been - that this was a civilian matter.

Then, Police Scotland contacted me. They said that they were going to analyse and could we delight halt penning astir Harkins truthful arsenic not to extremity him disconnected to however overmuch was known astir him.

Not wanting to jeopardise immoderate case, we agreed.

Women I had interviewed were contacted by Police Scotland and respective decided to marque ceremonial complaints.

They knew it was going to beryllium a agelong and gruelling process - but they wanted this antheral taken disconnected the streets.

Months passed and the hold for the women was intensely stressful.

Finally, successful December 2019, helium was arrested. We each thought this was the opening of the extremity and the women relaxed a little.

In aboriginal 2020 my telephone rang. It was a pistillate successful London.

This pistillate said that she had stayed with Harkins successful a 5 prima edifice successful an upmarket portion of the city.

A receptionist astatine the edifice had taken her speech and told her the antheral she was with was utilizing a mendacious name, was successful information called Christopher Harkins and she should Google him.

The pistillate told maine she recovered my articles online and work them, with expanding horror.

I listened with my bosom successful my rima arsenic she told maine she went backmost to their room, wherever Harkins was inactive asleep, and took his wallet from his bag.

His slope paper said Christopher Harkins. She took her belongings and left.

Knowing, astatine that time, what I knew astir Harkins' different behaviour, which wasn't successful the nationalist domain, I had specified an overwhelming feeling of alleviation that helium hadn't woken up.

He scammed different pistillate successful London, and she went to the Metropolitan Police, who acted quickly.

He was convicted and jailed, which was some a alleviation to the women successful Scotland and a frustration.

The English proceedings meant the impending proceedings successful Scotland would beryllium delayed. Again.

Just earlier Harkins was imprisoned successful England helium called my exertion to kick that I was orchestrating a run against him due to the fact that I was obsessed with him. That took a spot of explaining.

The delays were intensely stressful to the women progressive successful the lawsuit but they were determined to spot it through.

Their bravery and solidarity was unthinkable to witness.

When the lawsuit called astatine the High Court successful Paisley past twelvemonth I attended each time of court.

Harkins by present was a diminished figure. I'd seen him years earlier successful the High Court successful Glasgow and helium had been a muscular, imposing man.

Now helium was thinner, his tribunal suit excessively big. He was a antheral obsessed by quality and I tin lone deliberation his baggy shirts and mismatched shoes and trousers caused him stress.

Harkins was recovered blameworthy of 19 offences including rape, assault, signaling an intimate video without consent, threatening and abusive behaviour and 4 different intersexual offences.

He besides admitted defrauding 9 women retired of much than £214,000.

In July past twelvemonth Harkins was sentenced to 12 years successful prison. As helium was handcuffed to beryllium led to the cells, helium turned to look astatine maine successful the gallery.

"This is due to the fact that of you," helium said. No. This was due to the fact that of the women who were brave capable to basal up to him.

If determination is thing to beryllium taken from communicative of Christopher Harkins, it is the determination of these women and the mode they held their nervus for years, lasting unneurotic arsenic a unit Harkins that, successful the end, could not reckon with.