To catch a swindler and a swine

Hauschildt with Romana Labunski, right, and Pamela Schutzmann

In his absence, Hauschildt was convicted by the British courts on nine counts, including forgery and money laundering. It is now believed that he may be hiding out somewhere along the French and Italian Riviera.

In the latest twist to a dark and murky tale, it has emerged that at the same time he was defrauding Ms Schutzmann, the charming Dane had another victim caught in his sticky web, this time living on the Côte d'Azur.

In a recent interview with The Riviera Times, the elderly lady, who for the sake of anonymity we will call Mme M, described how Hauschildt tricked her into parting with her savings: "He was a bon vivant, a well-connected, international man who knew everyone and everything. Of course, I had no idea about his past, that he had been in prison before. As far as I was concerned he was a good friend and someone I trusted. In person, he was a big, warm, loving man. It's only now I can see that in reality he’s calculating, and heartless."

Mme M, a glamorous and worldly woman, had been close to Hauschildt and his late girlfriend Romana Labunski for some time. She had had problems taking care of her savings in the past and turned to her friend, who was posing as a financial advisor.

Hauschildt set up a bank account for her in the UK and gave her money whenever she asked. "I mainly lived from my pension and only requested small amounts," she says. "I wanted to leave as much money for my children as possible." She also regularly received what she believed to be official bank statements. She realised, only when it was too late, that these statements were forged.

It was last summer that Mme M discovered the sickening truth. She tried to contact Hauschildt to withdraw some of her savings but was met with silence: both the money and the man had vanished. After further investigation, Mme M found out that her account number did not exist and that nothing was set up in her name. The account in Hauschildt's name had been emptied when he fled the UK.

"In the words of Somerset Maugham, 'The Côte d'Azur is a sunny place for shady people,'" she sighs, "it’s a playground for someone like Mogens, perfect for him to thrive in and hide. He’s run off with my life’s savings: if he’s not caught I’ll be forced to sell my home.”

There are many similarities between Mme M's story and Ms Schutzmann's: both are widows, both were befriended by Hauschildt, both felt a false sense of security because of this friendship. The women even met whilst Hauschildt was tricking them, as Ms Schutzmann came to the Côte to visit him several times. Ms Schutzmann, however, suffered an additional blow because he didn’t only steal her savings but also, through a forged signature, got her house in London remortgage.

Mme M claims Hauschildt attempted to do the same to her home. "I would never have signed this place over but I still thank God he didn't get his hands on it," she shudders. Having filed an official report on Hauschildt some time ago, Mme M has not been satisfied with the amount of support she has since received from the local police department.

"They tell me that the case has been forwarded to Paris but no one there appears to be doing anything. I pass them names, numbers and addresses but they don't follow these up." Frustrated by the lack of police action, the petite and spirited pensioner has taken on the role of investigator, chasing contacts and any minor piece of information up and down the coast, "Mogens knew people from Menton to Saint-Tropez. There's practically a new lead every day… normally up a blind alley but I don't stop for a minute."

Recent developments in her investigation have taken Mme M to a town on the Italian Riviera, the name of which she’d prefer us not to print. The Italian police have so far have been unable to help her, claiming they can only act with an official order from France or the UK. The French authorities, when asked why the order had yet to be placed, claimed it was the job of their British counterparts, the Metropolitan police replied that it was the responsibility of the French. Either way, no one is any closer to catching the dangerous criminal.

The detective in charge of the UK investigation is equally frustrated with the French police effort. Speaking to The Riviera Times, DC Mark Loftus said he had concerns about how seriously Mme M’s case was being investigated. In addition to the warrant issued to forces across Europe, DC Loftus said that he requested specific assistance from the French authorities and it took them a year to send him a reply. He has a number of documents relating to Mme M’s case but is not able to forward these without an official request from France. He is also still waiting to be contacted by any French officer working on the case. "It is very difficult when I do not have co-operation from overseas," he complained. "I’ve been very surprised; I thought Mme M would have been treated more sympathetically, there’s plenty of evidence." The Riviera Times tried to contact the French police to discuss the matter but had received no response by the time we went to press.

The lack of immediate action to apprehend Hauschildt worries Loftus: "He’s a confidence trickster. We don't know what he is doing but we are sure he will be doing the same thing to someone else."

Loftus' fears are justified: Hauschildt has a 30-year history of fraud and embezzlement. During the 1980s, he spent over eight years in prison in Denmark for a multitude of financial crimes. Even now, he continues to have a number of offshore "accounts" and "businesses" registered. One of these companies is in Panama, another is in the Seychelles. However, little appears to exist beyond a registration name and number.

A house in La Turbie owned by Labunski and transferred on her death to Hauschildt, is currently in the hands of trustees in Jersey. Much to the concern of Mme M, the villa on Route de Mont Agel has recently gone on the market with an estate agent in Beaulieu-sur-Mer for 1.6 million euros. This is despite the fact that the British police have placed a restraining order on the property, in the hope that it might one day be used to compensate victims.

In a further strange twist, Labunskis' 29-year-old son, Alexander, who often comes to the French Riviera, changed his name to Hauschildt even though his mother and Hauschildt were never married and he was an adult when they met. Alexander's role in his "stepfather's" crimes has been the subject of an investigation by the British police. However, the official charges against him were dropped last month due to a lack of evidence.

Until now Hauschildt has demonstrated a persistent disregard of the law and a complete lack of remorse, despite maintaining long and close relationships with his victims. His clinical confidence and coldness make him highly dangerous and, in the opinion of his victims and the police, very likely to strike again.

London newspaper The Ham and High have started an official campaign to catch Hauschildt and are calling for people who know of his whereabouts to get in touch. "Pamela is 87-years-old and she's desperate to get her money back before she dies," journalist Ben McPartland explains. "In person, you can sense her frustration and you want to do whatever you can to help catch this guy."

“I’ve been through a lot in my life,” Mme M shakes her head, “but I’ve never had a sleepless night. Not until this. Now I don’t sleep.”

If you have information about Hauschildt contact rivieratimes@mediterra.com

Hannah Marshall