A notorious British conman, Robert Hendy-Freegard, 53, has been sentenced to six years in prison in France after ramming his vehicle into two police officers in a desperate attempt to escape questioning. Hendy-Freegard, who has a history of deception and criminal activity, had relocated to rural France several years ago under an alias, where he attempted to breed beagles illegally.
British Fraudster Sentenced to Six Years for Assaulting French Police Officers
British Fraudster Sentenced to Six Years for Assaulting French Police Officers
Robert Hendy-Freegard, infamous for his conmanship, was sentenced in France after violently colliding with police while evading questioning.
Residents of the small community had grown suspicious of his activities, which gained notoriety after being featured in two Netflix documentaries. Previously convicted in the UK for kidnapping and conning women and students out of nearly £1 million, Hendy-Freegard spent four years in prison before some convictions were overturned.
During his trial in Gueret, he represented himself and claimed, “I had enough. I panicked,” expressing remorse for the incident in the tiny village of Vidaillat. However, Prosecutor Alexandra Pethieu countered that the dangerous scenario was reminiscent of a scene from a dystopian movie, with one officer knocked down and the other pushed against the windscreen of the car.
Hendy-Freegard had been living in France since 2015 with partner Sandra Clifton, but suspicions arose regarding his controlling behavior over her. After a documentary aired in 2022, highlighting his manipulative past, Clifton's family sought help, prompting local authorities to investigate. When approached by police, Hendy-Freegard fled the scene, ultimately evading capture for a time.
Martine Laporte, mayor of Vidaillat, expressed deep concern that Hendy-Freegard remains a threat and must be restrained. "He is manipulative to the end and that isn't going to change," she stated, emphasizing the potential risks of his release. Henceforth, with the severe sentence handed down in France, it remains to be seen whether he will find a way back into society’s crosshairs.
During his trial in Gueret, he represented himself and claimed, “I had enough. I panicked,” expressing remorse for the incident in the tiny village of Vidaillat. However, Prosecutor Alexandra Pethieu countered that the dangerous scenario was reminiscent of a scene from a dystopian movie, with one officer knocked down and the other pushed against the windscreen of the car.
Hendy-Freegard had been living in France since 2015 with partner Sandra Clifton, but suspicions arose regarding his controlling behavior over her. After a documentary aired in 2022, highlighting his manipulative past, Clifton's family sought help, prompting local authorities to investigate. When approached by police, Hendy-Freegard fled the scene, ultimately evading capture for a time.
Martine Laporte, mayor of Vidaillat, expressed deep concern that Hendy-Freegard remains a threat and must be restrained. "He is manipulative to the end and that isn't going to change," she stated, emphasizing the potential risks of his release. Henceforth, with the severe sentence handed down in France, it remains to be seen whether he will find a way back into society’s crosshairs.
