'Colonel Blimp' Ex-Soldier Denies SAS Fraud On Girlfriends And Retired Cop

Mark: Fitt For Service

An accused fraudster, who denies boasting he was ex-SAS during a £120,000 scam, told a jury his collection of fake service medals were part of his Colonel Gadaffi fancy dress costume.

Mark Fitt, 43, is accused of lying to two girlfriends, a retired detective and an investor to extract money for his non-existent security intelligence company.

Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard he wore the nine medals - some SAS - for active service in Iraq and Afghanistan along with a regimental tie at a pub one Remembrance Sunday.

“They were fake, they were not real and I had them when I dressed up as Colonel Gadaffi,” he told the court. “I did not wear them on Remembrance Sunday, that would be disrespectful to those that did serve.”

He insisted his company - N49 Intelligence - was genuine and said he never told anybody he was a Colonel in the Army or had served in the French Foreign Legion.

“The closest was my girlfriend Zoe’s nickname for me, she called me Colonel Blimp,” added Fitt.

He said he was raised in Germany and Wales by a military family and served six years in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

Former SAS and French Foreign Legion soldiers had trained him in close protection work, resulting in him working as a bodyguard in Beirut for six years, protecting Lebanese politicians, he claimed.

Hilary Davies 

“I wanted to use my brain more and entered the field of intelligence and putting my business hat on I thought: ’There’s a business to be made here.’”

He dated business analyst Hilary Davies, 57, during much of 2012, after meeting her in a Barnes pub, but denies stealing £33,690 from her.

“She offered to help me and I was happy to receive the help for bills, meetings, personal expenses and getting around.

“I was extremely grateful, she helped me out a lot,” said Fitt, insisting paying her back was never discussed.

“She was quite besotted with me and there was a bit of stalking going on. That was unbearable for me, messages at three or four in the morning.”

During the period of the charges Fitt signed-on for Jobseekers Allowance and enjoyed holidays to Tenerife, Majorca and Thailand as well as a trip to the Bahamas and business class flights to Marseilles.

He also denies stealing £45,874 from interior designer Tracey Saunders, 45. “It was to help with the business, she thought it was a viable idea. It was all a loan, an agreement I signed.”

She knew him as ‘Charlie’ and Fitt said that was his middle name and he was known by it as a child.

Tracey Saunders

He admitted not going on a Nigeria business trip she financed, despite pretending to be in the African country during text exchanges. “I needed space, I had PTSD and was not taking any medication.

“I did not offer the money back and she did not ask for it. I came clean two days later and got a slap across the face.”

She only received a tenner back, but Fitt told the court: “I paid more, sixty pounds I think.”

The court heard Fitt also received money from policewoman girlfriend Zoe Richardson and denies defrauding her housemate, retied Chief Superintendent Mark Veljovic, 59, of £30,000.

“He liked the idea. He thought it had merit and that money was part for me, part for the business.

“At this point I was straddling water. I had put so much work and effort into this business I was not going to quit.

Mark Veljovic

“I always said to them they would get their money back. They are loans they have to be repaid.”

Fitt told the jury his business, which involved working with kidnap and ransom insurers in the Middle East and Africa, was ruined by Mr. Veljovic.

He had told the retired detective his company would receive £2000,000-£300,000 per quarter.

“There were all these allegations that I stole from him and defrauded him and that put the spooks up the Lloyds insurance market and I lost everything.”

Fitt refused to answer police questions three times. “I was absolutely shocked. I had never been in that position before.”

He says he now runs a successful publishing company with his fiancé after making a £100,000 investment in the firm.

Fitt, of James Terrace, Mortlake has pleaded not guilty to stealing £33,690 from Ms Davies; £45,874 from Ms Saunders; £11,000 from Oliver Tonkin and defrauding Mr. Veljovic of £30,000 between November 24, 2011 and March 14, 2014.

Trial continues………