A convicted conman from Blyth, Nottinghamshire is the subject to a new three-part documentary series on Netflix.
The former barman and car dealer was released in 2009 from a life sentence conviction for kidnap, theft and deception after it was reduced on appeal.
Hendy-Freegard, 49 turning 50 in March, pretended to be a MI5 agent and managed to steal thousands of pounds from his victims for about 10 years.
He fooled his victims in believing that their association with him meant they were at risk of IRA assassination conspiracies.
He was able to separate his victims from their friends and families, exploit them, marrying many of them without mixing relationships, and even having two children with one of his victims, Maria Hendy.
The ‘MI5 agent’ had been reported to the police and sued by one of his victims, former solicitor Caroline Cowper.
However, he was only arrested after his involvement with the American child psychologist Kim Adams.
In August 2002, Mr Hendy-Freegard told Miss Adams parents that he would recruit her as his spy and the training would be around $10,000 (£5,400).
Her mum agreed to fly to London to hand him the money in person, although he did not know that the police would be waiting for him at Heathrow.
After an eight-month trial, Hendy-Freegard was sentenced to a life sentence. He fought his conviction and in 2007, he was released from the kidnapping convictions.
The Netflix documentary ‘The Puppet Master – Hunting The Ultimate Conman’ speaks to Sophie and Jake Clinton, the children of Sandra Clinton who is said to be in a current relationship with Hendy-Freegard. They say they haven’t seen their mother in seven years.
Also featured is Sarah Smith, one of Freegard’s first victims who tells how she was duped and kept away from her family for over 10 years.
