A fraudster pretended he was a mortgage advisor to con three nurses out of more than £100,000.

Johnson Umax was convicted of three counts of fraud by false representation today following a two-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Each of his victims had loaned him money, believing he would use it to help them get a mortgage.

He started a relationship with the first victim in February 2013 after they met through an online dating site.

When she told him she wanted to buy a house, he claimed he had a mortgage company and she agreed to give him a deposit.

Umax then twice asked for more money to secure the property and took more than £30,000.

He met the second victim in November 2013 and they later began a relationship.

When she told him she wanted to buy a property, he claimed he would buy a house for her and sell it at auction for a profit, then use the money to buy another house for them to live in together.

Umax also convinced her to finance a car for him.

However, she then discovered that not only had he taken money from her and not bought a house at auction as promised, but that he was also married.

Umax promised to repay the £40,054 he had taken from her but never did.

Before the victim discovered his deception, she had recommended him to one of her colleagues, who was also looking to get a mortgage.

He took more than £40,000 from her between July 2014 and August 2015, but never repaid it and lied that he had bought a property on her behalf.

During police interview, the 32-year-old from Chelmsford claimed he had not obtained the money fraudulently.

He claimed he had been in relationships with the three victims and they had offered to help him financially because he was in debt. But the court heard this was not true, and he was never in a relationship with the third victim.

Umax, of Fitzwalter Place, denied three counts of fraud by false representation but was found guilty by a jury today.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on Friday 24 May.

Speaking after today's verdict, investigating officer Detective Constable Chris Sedgwick, of Braintree, CID, said: “Johnson Umax is a confidence trickster and fraudster who manipulated his victims with promises and lies.

“He claimed he could help them get a mortgage, but had no ability to do this, and he had no regard for their personal circumstances.

“He lied and cheated in a calculated way to extract as much money from his victims, all of whom are hard-working nurses.

“He has shown no remorse for stealing their entire savings and putting them into further debt.

“Hopefully this conviction will show him and others that if you commit crime we will continue to pursue you to get justice for the victims.”