WOMEN who fell victim to romance fraudster Ben Millin told their stories at court as he was jailed for almost three years – including one who said she had contemplated suicide.

One of them was Fiona, from Exeter, who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of what Millin did – and continues to see a therapist regularly.

She said she struggled to forgive herself for what happened, contemplated suicide several times, and for a long time was unable to speak his name.

In her victim statement prepared ahead of the sentencing hearing, Fiona said: “I find it difficult to fully express the profound and lasting impact that Ben’s actions have had on my life and mental health. Not only did he defraud me of every penny I had, but the way he did so, has caused immeasurable damage to my well-being.

“Ben is a predator. He targets vulnerable women, exploiting their insecurities and empathy for his own benefit. He is, in my opinion, a complete danger to society, especially women.

“He told countless lies to make himself appear vulnerable and in need of support. A younger sister named Isabella who died of cancer (who never existed), a grandfather whose death supposedly caused his father’s severe depression, a brother’s suicide attempt, a critically ill mother who had been in an induced coma due to Covid-related pneumonia, and an ex-fiancée who had cheated on him and left him in financial trouble.

“He even claimed to be a victim of fraud to excuse problems with his bank accounts.

“Perhaps most outrageous was his claim that he suffered from a hereditary heart condition requiring a pacemaker, with regular ‘consultations’ in Bristol. These appointments were actually court appearances for a previous conviction.

“The day I truly understood who Ben was, the worst day of my life, came when he vanished.

“Believing he had a job interview, I searched desperately, calling hospitals in Exeter and Bristol, fearing his fake heart condition had worsened. I even filed a missing person report with the police.

“Then, through a friend, I learned he had been sent back to prison for his previous conviction.

“The harsh reality hit me: he had defrauded me and had never intended to repay any money.

“He was nothing like the man he pretended to be. Ben invaded every part of my life.”

READ MORE: Yeovil romance fraudster Ben Millin jailed after stealing more than £30,000 from women

Another victim – Charlotte, from Crewkerne – said it was not until she heard Ben had been charged and remanded that she felt truly safe. She told him personal issues about past relationships and family illnesses, which he ‘weaponised’ against her.

“I was a chess piece in a game that I didn’t know I was playing,” she said. “On the evening of the December 22, 2023, my mother sent me a news article about Ben and his past conviction; my whole world changed forever and I shall never be the same again.

“I confronted Ben, who continued to lie and gaslight me. I was in shock, I could not function, nothing made sense and my whole world was turned upside down.

“Ben then told me that on December 27, he planned to admit it all to his parents and they would pay me back and all would be okay, only for Ben to again lie and play the victim and scar me forever by faking his own death.”

“I lived with someone for months, someone it appears I knew nothing about. Someone who would tidy the house, move furniture, for the reason I thought was kind, now I realise that it was for his own game,” she added.

“He’d told me he’d booked a holiday for us, and he needed my passport, but what he really was doing was completely and utterly abuse his position of trust in our relationship and violating my privacy on every count.

“The money Ben has taken from me was my inheritance money from my father. It was money that I was always too scared to spend, due to the meaning it had to me. To me, spending it meant losing more of father which is something I could never face hence why after over six years I had it in my bank untouched.

“I had explained to Ben how I’d wanted to buy my father a grave stone – something I still couldn’t face as it felt very final – to go travelling, to buy a van and have the adventures I had always wanted and planned before my father became ill, to have the security of having a home of my own somewhere I’d feel safe and at peace finally.

“For Ben to know all of this and to still want more and more, to push and push me until I was so weak I couldn’t fight back, is everything you need to know about him, the mental abuse he so easily inflicted on me is completely life-changing for me.”

In summary, she said: “I feel I could never have a relationship again, which is completely out of character from the person that I was. The things that Ben has done will never leave me and that makes me so sad.

“Ben knew I wanted a family and all the hopes and dreams I had for life however since the damage he has inflicted on me, I have lost trust in every person I know and could meet in the future and even worse than that, the trust I have lost in myself.

“No matter how much therapy I do, or how much time passes, I will never be the same. I am still very vulnerable and unable to work like I did before him. My poor financial situation leaves me unable to afford to start again and find a new home, I lost my financial security in this stupid game I didn’t know I was part of before it was far too late.

“I will never understand how someone can lie to you every moment of every day so easily, whilst playing a victim with poor mental health.

“He has stolen not only my money but my ability to have the future that I so desperately wanted. What he’s done to me physically, mentally and financially cannot be undone.”

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Victim Chloe, in her victim personal statement, said she told Millin intimate details about how she cared for her husband for two years after his terminal cancer diagnosis before his death.

She added: “Ben appeared to empathise, recounting his own alleged tragedies, including the loss of both his father and brother in a car accident. He used these fabricated stories to foster an emotional connection with me, gaining my trust under false pretences.

“As time progressed, Ben’s behaviour became increasingly erratic and concerning. He would stage emotional phone calls, often lasting long periods, that gave the impression he was dealing with distressing family issues. Eventually, it became evident that there was no-one on the other end of the line.

“In one particularly disturbing incident, Ben claimed that his sister-in-law had stabbed his brother, that both were hospitalised, and that their children urgently required care. He asked me to prepare to look after the children, and we purchased food and supplies for them.

“This entire situation was later revealed to be completely fabricated.

“Ben’s conduct was not only dishonest but highly manipulative and emotionally exploitative. These were not casual lies, they were deliberate fabrications centred around deeply sensitive and traumatic themes, seemingly intended to gain control and elicit sympathy. Reflecting on this, I believe he derived a sense of satisfaction from the confusion and distress he caused.

“The impact of this experience on my mental health has been profound. It has significantly eroded my ability to trust others. I now find myself questioning people’s motives, doubting my own judgment, and experiencing persistent anxiety. In addition to the ongoing grief from the loss of my husband, this manipulation has caused further emotional harm.

“In my opinion, Ben’s actions demonstrate a clear and disturbing pattern of calculated deception.”

After Millin was jailed, DC Morgan of Avon & Somerset Police, said: “All the women in this case have shown incredible courage and we are grateful for them supporting these court proceedings. They are all victims and they should feel no shame about what happened to them; there is only one person who should be embarrassed.

“I’ve been investigating crimes for 18 years and Ben Millin is by far the most complex character I have met in regards to the deceit and lies he managed to maintain. He was a master of manipulation.

“By coming forward those women helped to protect others being targeted by him and potentially other crimes from happening.

“Sadly, I have no doubt there will be other victims of romance fraud out there who will read their powerful testimonies and they will be going through the exact same pain and trauma. Hopefully convictions like this give confidence to those people to report what has happened so we can help them.”