A CWMBRAN woman fears she will never trust anyone again after her “too good to be true” boyfriend was jailed for defrauding her out of more than £4,000.

Mother-of-two Kim Beard, of Plas Islwyn, lost £4,149.28 to 26-year-old Michael Hill.

Her stepfather – who did not wish to be named – was also duped by Hill, after he gained the family’s trust.

Hill, of Cwmbran, was sentenced to one year in prison for theft, six counts of fraud and driving a motor vehicle without insurance and a licence.

Ms Beard, aged 25, said she had known Hill for around 12 years when she bumped into him in March.

Hill, having played the “perfect” boyfriend role, moved into her family home a few months later with her two young children, three-year-old Roxie-June and Logan-Rhys, aged four.

Ms Beard said: “He told me his brother was going to lend him £1,250 for a car but he needed me to give him the money first as he had to get it that weekend.

“I later called his brother, who knew nothing about this.”

Ms Beard said that Hill even sent her a fraudulent text message apparently verifying that his brother had transferred him money.

He then told her the car was damaged and filed a false police report.

Ms Beard’s kind-hearted stepfather then gave him £2,400 for another vehicle, which Hill said he would pay back straight away.

“On July 8, he stole my bank card when I was sleeping. He went on my banking app and transferred £500,” Ms Beard added. “He did a runner that night.”

Ms Beard made an appeal in July to track him down and Hill was arrested in Hartlepool.

“He played the perfect part,” she added. “He was a really good boyfriend, he was fab with my kids. I couldn’t complain about him. Everything seemed too good to be true.”

Hill pleaded guilty to the motor offences, theft and four counts of fraud relating to Ms Beard, but pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud relating to her stepfather.

After failing to turn up to his trial at Newport Magistrates’ Court on December 11, Hill was found guilty in his absence and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He is now serving his sentence, after police found him in Scotland on December 14.

He has also been ordered to pay back £499.28 to Ms Beard’s bank, £1,749.28 to Ms Beard and £2,400 to her stepfather.

“I was devastated, especially for my children”, Ms Beard added. “That’s their future gone, I’m going to have to rebuild myself.

“I work, but it’s voluntary, so I don’t get a lot of money coming in. I certainly don’t think I’ll be able to trust someone again.

“He’s got to pay it back, but I don’t think he will.

“How is a guy who doesn’t want to work going to pay it?”

Ms Beard added that she did not know Hill had just come out of prison when she started a relationship with him.

“I thought I knew him,” she added. “From what I’ve heard now and what he’s done to me, I don’t want anyone, especially if they have kids, to go through what I went through.

“He used my kids to get to me, that’s not fair on them. They adored him, my son cried himself to sleep for weeks.”

Hill has also been disqualified for driving for two years and was issued with a restraining order against Ms Beard and her immediate family.