'My new husband was a bigamist and fraudster'

Maureen Lewis, nee Walder, spoke out as John Lewis awaits sentence for his crimes.

Lewis’ web of deceit started to unravel when she discovered he had twice forged her signature to apply for £33,000 in loan payouts.

As police investigated, they became suspicious of the 48-year-old’s marital conduct but it was Maureen, 57, who discovered he was still married by sifting through on-line marriage records.

Maureen, who now lives with her sister and brother-in-law, said: “I just can’t put it into words. This whole period of my life has been horrendous. He was charming and couldn’t do enough for me but, in hindsight, he was very controlling and kept me away from friends and people I knew.

“I am having therapy to get through this.”

But when they were pronounced man and wife during an intimate ceremony in Sri Lanka in October 2007 she felt no reason to distrust her partner of one year, who hired elephants and dancers for their dream wedding.

“It was lovely and we stayed in a beautiful spa hotel. It was only later I realised he had paid for it all out of the fraudulent loans.”

Lewis set the tone for their relationship by whisking her off to Paris on Boxing Day 2006, proposing in front of a packed restaurant.

Maureen said he was prone to big gestures but Lewis lied about where his money came from.

“When we met he told me he worked from home for several years, buying up properties for a wealthy Arab and travelling the world.

“Looking back it seems so far-fetched but I trusted him completely.”

Maureen watched her husband stand before a judge last Thursday charged with bigamy, fraud and lying under oath.

“I was very nervous but when I saw him he just looked so pathetic. I’m a strong woman and I’m trying to bounce back from this.”

REPORT OF JOHN LEWIS' COURT HEARING: A BIGAMIST forged the signature of his Minehead wife to obtain £33,000 in loan payouts and falsely claimed to be a decorated Falklands War hero, a court heard.

John Lewis, 48, appeared before Taunton Crown Court charged with bigamy, making a false statement under oath and fraud.

The court heard last Thursday that Lewis married 57-year-old Maureen Walder in October 2007 – eight months before his divorce with another woman was finalised.

Lewis also swore an affidavit that he was free to marry before their lavish ceremony in Sri Lanka.

Soon after, the newlyweds moved to Italy to take a house-sitting job for a wealthy British couple but when Ms Walder returned to her Minehead flat in spring 2009 she discovered County Court Judgments among her post.

Lewis had forged her signature to apply for two loans in her name and had £10,000 and £23,000 wired to their joint account.

Lewis’ troubles deepened when his employers in Italy discovered he had repeatedly lied on his CV to get the job.

His fanciful claims included receiving a gallantry medal for his heroics fighting in the Falklands, being a Lord’s chauffeur and working as a gardener and handyman.

He even sent an e-mail to his employers claiming to be a Mr Alzeera – a ‘former boss’ – to support his application.

Patrick Mason, defending, said Lewis suffered from Munchausen’s syndrome – a rare psychological and behavioural condition that can lead to compulsive lying.

He said his client was “extremely shameful” about the way he treated his wife.

“He’s a man with a severe personality disorder,” he said.

Lewis now lives in sheltered accommodation|in Crewkerne and receives support from men-|tal health clinic Holly Court in Yeovil, Mr Mason said.

Lewis will be sentenced on April 29.