A notorious fraudster, who once pretended to be the actor's sibling, is lying again to seduce women
A notorious fraudster, who once pretended to be the actor's sibling, is lying again to seduce women
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Looks that fool: Brenton Jarrett created a website, Hitchcock Media International and met 60 women |
A notorious fraudster has resurfaced in a showbiz scam designed, police believe, solely to meet and seduce women.
Brenton Jarrett (38) variously described as being from Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Geelong, all in Victoria, last year crafted a false identity for himself as Joshua Hitchcock, grandson of the film director Alfred Hitchcock.
He claimed to be a film producer and head of a film financing house about to launch a production company in Australia.
Jarrett is believed to be living in New South Wales. He created a website, Hitchcock Media International, and advertised on three internet casting sites seeking talent for three productions, including a remake of the sitcom Cheers in Melbourne.
Police say Jarrett met more than 60 women who responded to the ads and had sex with at least two of them.
In Depp trouble
He is well known to police, having come to their attention in 1997, when he was arrested in relation to an assault on the driver of a limousine he had hired while pretending to be Daniel Depp, brother of the actor Johnny Depp.
Jarrett and his driver had tried to gain entry to a party in the hotel suite of the basketballer Shaquille O'Neal.
The next day, Jarrett pleaded guilty to 10 charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception related to the Depp scam.
As 'Scream' actor...
In 1998 Jarrett surfaced in Adelaide pretending to be the American actor Skeet Ulrich, star of the film Scream.
He bore enough resemblance to Ulrich that he was interviewed by a Foxtel entertainment reporter, Peter Ford, who took him for the real thing until his accent began to slip after a few drinks.
Two years jail
In April 2001, Jarrett was sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail over fraud charges stemming from the collapse of a Bendigo nightclub, Nocturnal Insomnia, that left creditors $139,000 (Rs 56.7 lakh) out of pocket.
Since then he has made a return appearance as Skeet Ulrich, and also pretended to be Jai Hanlyn, a representative of Johnny Depp scouting holiday locations in NSW for the actor; Josh Jarrett, a Las Vegas-based nightclub owner looking to set up a base in Geelong; and Joshua Hitchcock.
Role play
>>As Johnny Depp's brother, Jarret tried to gain entry to a party of basketball star Shaquille O'Neal in 1997. A few years later he also posed as Depp's representative
>>He pretended to be Skeet Ulrich, the actor of Scream
>>And Josh Jarrent, a Las-Vegas nightclub owner
