A “heinous” romance fraudster who took over £200,000 from his three female victims left one suffering from “panic attacks.”

Sajad Hussain, of Winterbourne Road in Haydon End, pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud over a seven-year period at Swindon Crown Court on Monday (April 17).

The 45-year-old manipulated three women he met on online dating sites into giving him a total of £204,322, plus pieces of highly sentimental family jewellery, between 2013 and 2020.

The three women, who have not been identified, knew him by a false name and believed they were in a genuine relationship with him.

These relationships overlapped and during this time Hussain began asking for increasingly large sums of money, which he promised to pay back.

Hussain’s lies included needing money to avoid getting beaten up after damaging a friend’s car, being behind on his rent, and needing cash to visit his ill father who had been in a severe skiing accident.

In 2020 Hussain was arrested at his home after one of his victims reported him to the police.

In a witness statement, Hussain’s second victim, who refers to him as ‘Sanj’, revealed the impact the crimes had on her.

She said: “My relationships with both family and friends have deteriorated significantly as a result of Sanj’s actions.

“I find it extremely difficult to trust people now and have lost all feelings of confidence and self-worth.

“During our ‘relationship’ I became really stressed by the pressure Sanj put me under. I can see now that he deliberately isolated me.

“I have panic attacks in the day also which affects my work. They manifest as random bursts of panic and tears. It is exhausting, meaning I struggle to function and concentrate.

“I feel that I am making it by the skin of my teeth, and it feels utterly unsustainable.”

Another victim added that her life “hasn’t been the same” since meeting Hussain and she never saw the family jewellery she gave him again.

An investigation found the fraudster had a substantial gambling habit, spending £135,000 on online gambling from 2013 to 2020.

Investigating officer DC Rachael Fairbain claimed the crimes likely funded this habit.

She said: “This is a heinous crime where Hussain has taken advantage of three women, most likely to fund his gambling habit.

“His actions finally caught up with him due to the bravery of the victims coming forward to report him”.

Hussain will be sentenced on June 8 and the CPS will now proceed with civil action against him.