Gambling on Love | Fatal Fraud | Forensic Files

NARRATOR: Every fraud begins with a promise, but most don't end in a murder. - I think all murder cases are extremely traumatic.
But with this case, it also goes beyond that. NARRATOR: A quick fortune, easy money, or a life torn apart.
BRYANNA FOX: He was trying to get as much money as he could. Almost seemed like he wasn't really even trying to hide
what he had done that much. NARRATOR: But behind these illusions lie calculated deceptions carefully
hidden in plain sight. FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: Romance fraud is perpetrated on a victim who thinks that the person
is their partner, their lover. NARRATOR: Sometimes these criminals are backed into a corner, and feel their only way out
is to kill. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: We called it the dirty rotten scoundrel case,
like the Steve Martin film, except this was no comedy. This was a tragedy. [THEME MUSIC]
MARTIN EVANS: So the first I knew of this case is when I received a press release from Scotland Yard
flagging up a missing person. I think the contrast of the two individuals who were tragically
brought together really makes this case particularly stand out. NARRATOR: In April 2012, 49-year-old Carole Waugh
vanished without a trace. Martin Evans is a British journalist who followed the case from the start.
He began by building a picture of Carole's life. MARTIN EVANS: So my name is Martin Evans,
and I'm the crime editor of the Daily Telegraph. Carole was 49 years old when she went missing.
She came from quite humble origins, mining village in County Durham in North England.
But she was very well traveled. We knew that in her 20s, she'd worked for an oil company,
had moved to Tripoli in Libya, and had traveled extensively through work. She'd also done very well for herself financially, and
had been able to buy a flat in Central London in a very desirable location. And by her mid 40s, had paid the mortgage off there.
Carole was financially independent. She lived a good lifestyle. She lived in a nice part of town.
And to all intents and purposes, her family saw that she was living a glamorous lifestyle.
NARRATOR: After several years working abroad, Carole returned to the UK in 2008,
and had been living alone. MARTIN EVANS: From what I understand, she did have, I think, two long term relationships
while she was living overseas. One with an Australian gentleman. But my understanding is that by the time
she'd returned to the UK, those relationships had ended and she was essentially single while she was living in London.
I think Carole was a very private person and possibly also quite shy. Perhaps found it difficult to make friends easily.
She wasn't a particularly gregarious person. I think there was a sense, perhaps,
that she was quite lonely. She lived in Central London, which can be quite an anonymous place,
a very transient community. Despite the fact she lived by herself in Central London,
she was still very close to her family, to her elderly mother who still lived in County Durham,
and her brother Christopher, who lived in Cumbria. We know that she would speak to her mother several times
a week. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Since she moved back to the UK, she was lonely.
Due to her loneliness, she started to seek companionship. NARRATOR: In early 2011, Carole began a new relationship
with a man she met online. MARTIN EVANS: Rakesh Bhayani, a married man from Wembley in North London.
And they became friends and eventually embarked on a relationship. He would take her to casinos and lavish her with gifts.
And you know, she obviously enjoyed the attention. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: It
was clear that Carole and Bhayani had been in regular contact. I mean, it was fair to say that we
could assume that they were having some kind of relationship. NARRATOR: Bhayani had a dark past that he
kept hidden from Carole. MARTIN EVANS: Rakesh Bhayani, he was a fraudster, a serial criminal,
a liar, and somebody who had spent his life in and out of prison. He had numerous convictions.
Yeah, a very, very undesirable character. BRYANNA FOX: I'm Dr. Bryanna Fox. I'm a psychological criminologist
at the University of South Florida and a former FBI Special Agent. It seems from the law enforcement investigation
into this case that Bhayani actually was a gambling addict himself. He spent enormous sums of money on gambling.
MARTIN EVANS: He'd actually been banned from every branch of Ladbrokes in the country for trying to pass counterfeit notes.
BRYANNA FOX: One thing that often happens is they call it good money chasing bad,
where people who are gambling addicts think, I've lost all of this, but you know what, my next time,
I'm going to get it back on the next hand, on the next play. And they keep doing it because they
think they're going to win the enormous sums that they lost back. But really, the hole just gets deeper and deeper.
NARRATOR: A few months into their relationship, Bhayani asked Carole for a loan.
MARTIN EVANS: Bhayani, obviously, he was a very accomplished con man and swindler,
and so he didn't just immediately ask Carole for a huge amount of money because she may have understandably been suspicious.
I think his strategy was more canny than that. He initially asked her for small loans, which
he then paid back quickly. And by doing that, won her trust. BRYANNA FOX: It's obviously important
when you're in a relationship that their trust is there so the person isn't going to take advantage of
them financially. But people who are con men and are successful at it, they look for vulnerable victims that either are going
to be in denial, not willing to see what's going on, are more vulnerable to love betrayal, where they have
this need for friendship and companionship, and the person that they're trusting
takes advantage of them. MARTIN EVANS: Bhayani clearly had a lot of charm. He was clearly a very persuasive person,
you know, despite the fact he'd been caught many times and been to prison. There was clearly something about him
that was very persuasive. BRYANNA FOX: Carole was looking for a companion, and he filled that gap for her.
Nothing about her that was wrong or deficient or she wasn't a good judge of character.
He is that convincing and good at it. - My name is Fiona Hoxton Moore, and I'm a forensic accountant and expert witness.
Fraudsters prey on the vulnerabilities of the victim. They prey on the loneliness of the victim.
It very quickly becomes a relationship, as opposed to just having met the person.
And they know how to play that person. They encourage them not to share what's going on with their friends,
so they encourage them to be isolated. [MUSIC PLAYING] - So after a period of time, the loans that Bhayani
was asking for increased. And eventually, after several months, he asked for a 40,000 pounds loan,
which is obviously a considerable amount of money. - Of course, he's a charming guy.
This guy could charm the birds from the trees. Some people believe what they want to believe.
They don't want to believe that they've been conned by somebody close to them, conned by somebody
that they are close to. - For somebody that's relatively well off as Carole was, it's not that uncommon to give a rather
expensive gift to somebody that they care about as a romantic partner. But 40,000 in cash doesn't exactly say romance.
So I think law enforcement, when they see this, they think, why was this woman giving
her partner with a gambling addiction such a large sum of money? Was this really a gift, or was he essentially coercing her?
And it seemed very likely that the latter was possible. [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: During her relationship with Bhayani,
Carole's flat was broken into. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: I think Carole might have suspected that Bhayani
had been involved in the burglary where a number of items had been stolen. But even so, she still maintained the relationship.
This doesn't mean that Carole was foolish. It just shows us what an accomplished con
man Bhayani really is. BRYANNA FOX: Offenders like, who are just brilliantly eloquent, they are very charming.
I mean, I've been in rooms with them where I have had conversations and I'm laughing.
They're so likable. You have to almost remind yourself of what they've done. You feel sorry for the victim, thinking, wow,
they never saw this coming. NARRATOR: In 2011, Bhayani became involved with people in the London criminal underworld.
SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: While he was seeing Carole, managed to get his hands on some counterfeit money,
got himself involved in some gangs, some dangerous people you don't want to mess with.
But this will backfire because Bhayani soon got arrested and found himself in prison on remand.
MARTIN EVANS: By that stage, his relationship with Carole was such that she supported him.
Rather than turning away from him, she went to visit him in prison. We know she wrote a letter of reference to the judge,
describing him as one of the good guys. It's clear that by that stage, he had completely hoodwinked her and she
was completely in his corner. NARRATOR: While in prison, Bhayani met 48-year-old Nicholas Kutner.
MARTIN EVANS: They are essentially two peas in a pod. Another serial fraudster and con man.
He's got a string of convictions. But by the age of 19, was already in prison for fraud
and had racked up almost 100 offenses by the time he meets Bhayani. - I mean, Kutner, he was deeply unpleasant,
incredibly arrogant. He'd been adopted as a child and had a privileged background growing
up with a wealthy family. But during his time, Kutner has still managed to build up quite
an impressive criminal resume. He'd been arrested at least 13 times, and had got over 90 convictions to his record.
His favorite cons included jewelry and fine wines. He would also exploit girlfriends, stealing from them
and stripping them of assets. NARRATOR: Kutner's previous frauds included using his
girlfriend's identity to buy 5,000 pounds in fine wine, and using fraudulent cheques to purchase
jewelry worth 17,500 pounds. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: When Kutner and Bhayani got out of prison, they stayed in contact.
And at this point, Bhayani was still in a relationship with Carole, and he was still
borrowing money from her. MARTIN EVANS: When Bhayani comes out of prison, the scales haven't fallen from Carole's eyes by that stage.
She resumes the relationship with him, and he's trying to do everything she can to help him.
She genuinely believes that she can turn him around and help challenge his gambling addiction.
She lends him 12,000, pounds, which he says will pay for rehabilitation. But of course, you know, that money's
going straight to the casino. FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: I think there is a stigma attached to romance fraud.
I think people are very embarrassed if they're caught out in this way. They're probably very flattered to have a relationship.
And therefore, when the relationship turns out to be fraudulent and not to be an affectionate one, or
one driven by affection, they are embarrassed and they are very reluctant to tell friends
and family and authorities. NARRATOR: On April 16, 2012, phone records showed Carole and
Bhayani made contact with another man, whom Bhayani also owed 17,000 pounds. MARTIN EVANS: The purpose of that
meeting was for Bhayani to come to arrangements to pay them both back. We think by that stage, Carole had
become more suspicious about Bhayani's motives and was now asking to get her money back from him.
NARRATOR: After the 16th of April 2012, Carole Waugh disappeared. Three months later, police were called
to Carole's flat to deal with a case of suspected rental fraud. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: I got a call from officers
in Central London. The complaints had been made by two potential tenants. Both these tenants had paid a deposit.
One of them had paid 3,900 pounds. The other had paid 7 grand. They only found out that they'd been
scammed when they both showed up to move into the same apartment. Of course, they then called the police.
I went along to Charing Cross Station to see what was going on. I was given a briefing, realized
that this wasn't right. This needed a real investigation. [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The would-be tenants had
told police they paid deposits to a man who claimed to be Carole's brother. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Carole
was really great at keeping in touch with friends and family, but no one had heard from her.
No one had heard from her for months. I mean, Carole's brother was even more concerned
when he realized that somebody had been impersonating him to rent out Carole's flat.
At that point, that was a huge red flag. NARRATOR: The disappearance of Carole Waugh shocked her family
and friends, who she had always maintained regular contact with. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Carole's brother
told us that Carole always maintained contact with her mom and with the rest of the family.
And she had a 50th birthday coming up, and there had been previous plans for her to go up north to see the family as a celebration.
But no one, I mean no one, had heard from her. NARRATOR: After speaking with Carole's brother,
police began an investigation into Carole's disappearance. - We started looking into Carole's phone data.
And there were inconsistencies in how she would usually use her phone. There was just texts that just didn't seem right.
No one had seen her for months. There was definitely something wrong. I suspected that she was dead.
FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: If I were looking at bank statements and there was a concern that the person had been killed
as opposed to gone missing, then I would be looking at the nature of the expenditure.
Is this the sort of expenditure that that person typically would be incurring, or that we might
think they might be incurring in order to stay disappeared, stay missing? Or is this sort of expenditure that's not typical for them,
and therefore suggest there's more behind it? NARRATOR: As well as looking into her phone and
financial records, police began investigating Carole's last known movements. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: We paid particular attention
to the people that she'd been in contact with just before her disappearance. NARRATOR: Police identified Rakesh Bhayani
as a person who Carole had regularly interacted with in the months before she vanished.
They brought him in for questioning. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: In any investigation,
the first interview is crucial. We just wanted to get Bhayani to talk. I sent two officers to go and interview Bhayani.
I told them, just speak with him, let him talk. Let him commit to his version of events.
And then from there, we will look into some inconsistencies. MARTIN EVANS: So he's brought in for questioning.
And initially, like all good con men, claims to be completely clueless. They have no idea what they're talking about.
But there's obviously evidence there that points to his involvement. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: He then
started to spin this amazing tale, how him and Carole, they'd planned this together.
They planned her disappearance to South Africa, and she was going to cut off all contact
with her friends and family. So he said the plan was, was that she was to disappear.
He was to sell her assets, generate as much income from her assets and properties as possible,
and then 18 months later, she would just re-emerge, saying, I've been robbed. - One thing that law enforcement
wants to look into immediately if they see somebody who has gone missing but is very financially well off,
of course is, are they really missing? Did they just run away with a circus, so to speak?
Or is there foul play? - He then comes up with this rather extravagant story. And it was all part of an insurance scam.
And I would claim the money and then we'd split it. I mean, he is a plausible character.
And initially, some of the detectives seem to be taken in by his cover story. - The two officers came in to debrief me.
They told me, boss, boss, you've got it all wrong. She was actually involved. I said, guys, I hope you haven't
lent him any money because you guys have been conned. NARRATOR: After questioning Bhayani
about Carole's disappearance, police decided to dig deeper into his story. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: When
we interviewed Bhayani for a second time, we were able to probe his story. Where had she traveled from?
Where had she gon? Had she gone by airline? Had she traveled under her own name?
Did she pay for things? Did she pay for this herself? Did you take her to the airport?
We knew that if he answered any of these questions, we would find that digital footprint.
We would find out which airline where she'd been. There would be evidence of that.
His story just started to fall apart. And at that point, we knew that this whole thing was nonsense.
NARRATOR: Now more suspicious of Bhayani, police continue their investigation into their suspect's past.
MARTIN EVANS: Bhayani was a very accomplished con man. He had fake identities. When he met Carole, he tried to pass
himself off as a as a heart surgeon at a top London hospital. I'm not sure anybody really knew who Bhayani actually
was, because he had so many different sort of facets to his character, different identities.
NARRATOR: Using phone records, police were able to place Carole, Bhayani, and Nicholas Kutner together on the evening Carole disappeared.
- Bhayani and Carole and Bhayani's accomplice were in the area of her flat on the 16th of April.
SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: The 16th of April was the first time that Kutner, Bhayani,
and Carole all came together. It was somewhere in the Harrow area, which isn't too
far away from Carole's flat. We know from the phone records that they traveled by car together back to Carole's flat.
We suspect that something happened that night in the flat because Carole was never seen again.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC] I mean, it became obvious that everything had changed after the 16th of April.
I mean, her phone records showed that the phone was being used at different times than normal.
Being turned on at different times in the morning, going off at different times at night, the messages.
It just didn't add up. There was something definitely, definitely wrong. Police began focusing on Carole's bank
account and spending activities after the 16th of April. FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: As a forensic accountant,
we would be looking at things like bank loan applications and the transfers, and trying to look and see
whether actually the people making those applications can make them. So in this case, it would be straightforward and
that any money that was spent after-- once you knew the date of Carole's death, once that had been proven,
any money spent would be fraudulent because her monies and her assets should have been frozen at that stage.
- So in the weeks after Carole's last known sighting, thousands of pounds are withdrawn
from her bank accounts from ATMs across London. Some of these transactions are caught on CCTV.
But that's very suspicious activity because as we knoe, Carole was very frugal, and that sort
of activity withdrawing large amounts of money just was not something that she was--
she would usually do SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Carole's finances, this all seemed to change after the 16th of April.
Money was drained from her accounts, taken out on ATMs on her cash card. There was even loans being taken
out in her name, when Carole was really careful with her money. This was really, really out of character.
Even an application was made to refinance her flat. This just didn't add up. NARRATOR: Bhayani maintained that he knew nothing
about Carole's whereabouts. And during their investigation, police discovered several potential sightings of Carole.
MARTIN EVANS: There are reports of women looking like Carole purchasing expensive items,
which is not something that Carole would normally have done. She was a frugal woman.
Not somebody who would spend large amounts of money on luxury goods like handbags.
Very, very suspicious activity. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: So we saw from the bank records
that Carole's card had been used in many luxury stores in London. You know, designer handbags and the like.
So we approached the stores, and at that time, CCTV was taped. It was generally overwritten every 24 hours.
We had statements from staff who said that, yes, a female of Carole's description
had made these purchases. But we still didn't have a definitive sighting of Carole
at that time. NARRATOR: Rakesh Bhayani and Nicholas Kutner's behavior after April 16th and
17th also raised suspicions. MARTIN EVANS: On the day after Carole's disappearance,
we know that Bhayani went into a Bond Street jewelers, where he attempted to buy a diamond ring
for 40,000 pounds in cash. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: The day after the 16th of April, we know that
Kutner went to Hatton Garden. A lot of Carole's jewelry had gone missing, and our investigation then showed us that that jewelry had
been sold at Hatton Garden. NARRATOR: Faced with this evidence, police decided to charge Bhayani and
Kutner with fraud offenses in relation to Carole's disappearance. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Bhayani
was arrested under charges of abduction and fraud. He was, at this time, insisting that Carole was alive.
Kutner, he was also arrested on return from holiday. We sent two officers to the airport,
and that's where they arrested him. He was interviewed, but during interview, he didn't say a single word.
NARRATOR: On August 2, 2012, police searched a lock up garage in South London, recently rented by Bhayani.
MARTIN EVANS: In early August, three months after the last sighting of Carole, her body
is found in a Volkswagen Golf, which is in a lock up in New Malden in South London.
Sadly, the body was badly decomposed by that stage, and that meant it was very difficult
for forensic pathologists to establish a cause of death. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: The problem is,
is that when we found Carole's body, she was incredibly decomposed. Initial investigation, we struggled
to find a cause of death. But we did find a single stab wound to the neck. I mean, there could have been other wounds to Carole's body,
but on initial investigation, we just couldn't determine that. You've got to remember that Carole
had been dead for four months by the time we found her. NARRATOR: Once Carole's body was discovered,
Bhayani changed his story. - Bhayani now tells us that everything he's told us before were complete lies,
and that what actually happened is that he and Kutner entered Carole's flat and found her already dead.
They just didn't know what to do. So they decided to get rid of the body and continue committing their fraud.
It was all just complete rubbish. BRYANNA FOX: Even after Carole's death, Bhayani didn't stop.
He actually was trying to rent out her flat, used her jewelry, brought it to pawnbrokers.
He was trying to get as much money as he could. It almost seemed like he wasn't really even trying to hide
what he had done that much. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: I mean, I started to suspect that had introduced
Kutner as a way to expand on the fraud against Carole. And I suspect that Carole smelt a rat, just because of the way
that Kutner presented himself. I believe that she probably suspected that they were conning her.
And she confronted them. She maybe even threatened to go to the police. But I believe that's why she was killed.
All we have to do now was prove it. NARRATOR: In August 2012, Rakesh Bhayani and Nicholas Kutner are charged with the murder
of Carole Waugh. Police began examining their behavior in the months after Carole's death.
- After Carole disappeared, they began stripping her assets with cash withdrawals
from cash machines, selling her assets. They eventually applied for loans in Carole's name.
They even tried to remortgage the property, and eventually, they must have settled
on renting out the flat. It was at that point that it came to our attention. MARTIN EVANS: After Carole's death,
Bhayani and his accomplice go straight to the casino. Spent thousands at the roulette table.
They check into a five-star hotel. They go to ATM machines and withdraw cash. They start selling her jewelry.
They basically go on a lavish spending spree. They're certainly behaving like people who've just
come in to a big windfall. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: They were living in posh hotels, living the high life.
They were spending money like it was going out of fashion. Staff remembered how obnoxious Kutner was.
Remember them screaming at staff. Bhayani was also seen to lose over 20 grand in a casino in one single night.
MARTIN EVANS: Bhayani is then hell bent on getting everything he can out of her estate.
So first of all, he sells anything that he can get his hands on. But it goes further than that.
He realizes that the biggest asset she has is this flat in Marylebone, which is worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and is mortgage free.
So realizing that, he applies for a 200,000-poind bridging loan, which he gets. So he's now got 200,000 pounds plus a load of stuff that
he's pinched from her flat. [SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC] NARRATOR: In October 2013, Rakesh Bhayani and
Nicholas Kutner were brought to trial for the murder of Carole Waugh and fraud against her estate.
MARTIN EVANS: The trial took place at the Old Bailey, and Bhayani and his accomplice, who
had admitted fraud charges but both denied murder, went on trial, before Mr. Justice Wilkie came out
at trial when we discovered that he'd recruited a number of women to pose as Carole
to carry out his scams. - Bhayani later admitted to paying several women to impersonate Carole when making
these types of purchases. These were the women that had been identified in the CCTV
and within the luxury stores. Some of these women, also now involved in the fraud,
were later prosecuted for those offenses. - But I think that really just does go to show the sort of level of sophistication
he was willing to embark on to get hold of Carole's money. BRYANNA FOX: It seems like had enough of forethought
to know if he walked into a store and said he was buying women's handbags, which are very expensive, that may raise some red flags.
Or if the authorities ever go to that store and said, you know, did Carole actually use her credit card here?
They could pretty well remember or show on CCTV that it was a man. So he was trying to cover this up and
cover his tracks by having people enlisted to serve as Carole impersonators to go purchase
these expensive goods. NARRATOR: One of the most damning pieces of evidence was the location where Carole's body was found.
SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: The thing that absolutely nailed this was the use of the car and the garage in New Malden,
where the body was found. Both the car and the garage were both linked to Rakesh Bhayani.
- Police find this Volkswagen Golf in a lock up in New Malden. And they traced the vehicle to a man
who says he had sold two cars on the same day to a man called Rakesh Bhayani. Basically, Bhayani had bought a car from this guy.
But on driving it away, had been stopped by the police on suspicion of driving without insurance, and the car was confiscated.
So he'd then gone back to the same chap and had bought a second car, which was the Volkswagen Golf,
and had used that to store the body. Initially, he parks that car with Carole's body
in the boot behind John Lewis in Oxford Street, which is not too far from Carole's flat.
He goes on his lavish spending spree, but then clearly in May, starts to worry that the body
might be discovered. So he and his accomplice then go and collect the car, and they drive to the Cotswolds.
And we think the idea was perhaps to find a secluded area to dump the body. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: We know that these two
guys went to the Cotswolds. We know it through phone records, ANPR records. This is two guys who never leave London.
We believe that this was a first attempt to dispose of Carole's body. MARTIN EVANS: But actually, it seems
that when they get to the Cotswolds, they discover that it's actually quite a popular place
and there's lots of people around. And so they seem to abandon that idea and then drive back to London, eventually hiring the lock up
in New Malden, where they store the car until Carole's body is discovered in August.
NARRATOR: There was also damning evidence from an innocent associate of Bhayani who
testified that had paid him to book the lock up garage in New Malden, where Carole's body was discovered.
SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: So Bhayani tells him that he needs to rent a garage
to store a classic car, which of course, he didn't own. This evidence, at the very least,
proves that they were concealing the body. This alone made them guilty of perverting
the course of justice. MARTIN EVANS: I think, for me, one of the most shocking aspects of this case
was the behavior of Bhayani after the murder. He didn't seem to be traumatized by what he'd done.
He wasn't a seasoned killer. He hasn't-- he hasn't killed before, but he didn't seem remotely bothered by the fact
that he took somebody's life. He-- he just carried on spending. FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: In Carole's case, it was extreme,
so the fraudster tried various methods in order to get at the money. So he tried to refinance the flat.
He tried to let the flat out. He emptied her bank account. So there-- he was very desperate.
He was trying to get as much out as quickly as he could, presumably before it was actually
discovered that Carole was dead and her assets would then be frozen. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: So there
were two distinct aspects to this fraud. There was the prior to death fraud, which we know about.
But then once she was killed, they just continued. The body was just an inconvenience
that they needed to get rid of so they could continue defrauding Carole. And even after she was dead, in their eyes,
she was ripe for exploitation. They had no remorse. MARTIN EVANS: We know that before Carole's death,
Bhayani was only really interested in one thing, and that was getting money from her.
But then, really, really cynically after the murder, he carries on with that. The only thing he's interested in is getting cash.
And it really talks to what he thought of Carole. She was only ever a cash cow to him.
He didn't seem concerned about what he'd done. He didn't seem to be remorseful for what he'd done.
BRYANNA FOX: While he is absolutely unsympathetic towards his victim, I would say that for Bhayani to just walk away
when he has access to such a large sum of money, in his mind, that would be almost wasteful.
He already committed murder. He needed the money. So he thought, I'm just going to take full advantage.
That is despite the fact that, increasingly, his chances of being caught go up every single time
he accesses her money. But the temptation to take that money was just too great.
So he felt in his mind like he had to do it. MARTIN EVANS: He didn't even seem that
worried about being caught. He treated her body with no respect at all. And of course, just goes on this kind of roller
coaster spending spree. And he would have carried on until every penny that he could have got out of her had gone.
And I think, yeah, that really talks to the sort of character that he was, utterly ruthless, utterly selfish,
caring only for himself and money. [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: During his trial for murder,
Bhayani continued to insist he was innocent. MARTIN EVANS: Bhayani's defense, as you could imagine for an accomplished con man,
was to immediately blame his accomplice. What's known as a cutthroat defense. He claimed that he had nothing to do with it,
and it was all his accomplices doing, and he was entirely innocent, apart from the fraud
charges, which he'd admitted. NARRATOR: Both Bhayani and Kutner had a long history
of fraud convictions. MARTIN EVANS: There was nobody who was safe from his fraudulent activity.
He tried to remortgage his own parents' home, his own brother's home. He essentially-- his life was about money
and stealing and fraud. - You're talking about a guy who ripped off his own family.
He set up a fake a Gamblers Anonymous hostel. He filled it with actors posing as gambling
addicts and counselors. Then he invited his wife over to prove that he was attending Gamblers Anonymous.
This guy has just got no conscience whatsoever. NARRATOR: While Bhayani admitted to defrauding Carole,
he continued to deny murdering her, despite the mounting evidence against him. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: To see him
in the witness box telling lie after lie, what a performance. He was convinced that he was going to turn that jury.
I mean, I've never seen a performance like it in the witness box, and I've seen a lot of murder trials.
The sheer arrogance, it was just phenomenal. MARTIN EVANS: I think all murder cases are extremely
traumatic, understandably, for families of the victims and the loved ones of the victims.
They sit there and they hear the awful details of the last hours of their loved ones.
But with this case, it also goes beyond that, because Bhayani's activities after the murder
are really quite shocking and upsetting. His behavior was so callous. It showed that he had no feelings whatsoever for Carole.
He had no remorse whatsoever. He didn't accept what he had done. And I think that must have been an additional agony
for her family to have to listen to. [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: In November 2013, Rakesh Bhayani and
Nicholas Kutner, who had both faced murder charges, finally discovered their fates.
MARTIN EVANS: The jury returned a guilty verdict of murder for Bhayani. His accomplice was acquitted of murder,
but was convicted of perverting the course of justice in helping to dispose the body.
And the trial judge, Mr. Justice Wilkie, said it was an act of great callousness
borne born out of greed. But he did concede that there was no premeditation, that this was a spur of the moment action
by Bhayani. Bhayani was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence, with a recommendation that he served a minimum of 27 years
before he becomes eligible for release. [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The total amount of the fraud committed
against Carole Waugh was estimated to be over a quarter of a million pounds. FIONA HOTSTON MOORE: Bhayani spent a lot of money
very quickly after he killed Carole. That suggests that he wasn't emotionally attached to Carole.
It suggests, perhaps, that he was very greedy, that he was very desperate. Perhaps he knew that it was only a matter of time
before he would be discovered. BRYANNA FOX: Continued crime after murder really impacts a judge's view of this person.
I mean, for one, it shows that the murder didn't just end their criminal behavior.
That this was heat of the moment, something that went too far. There was an argument.
They did something almost unintentionally at that point that goes out the window.
And it shows that they were willing to cover up the murder, didn't call the police, commit more crimes afterwards, and
show no remorse whatsoever. That really colors how bad this offender is in the judge and
community's minds. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: When they were convicted, I just thought, job well done.
We called it the Dirty Rotten Scoundrel Case, like the Steve Martin film. But this was no comedy.
An innocent woman had died. NARRATOR: Despite the guilty verdicts, details of exactly how Carole died that night remain unclear.
MARTIN EVANS: So we think back at Carole's flat in Marylebone. She's there with Bhayani and his accomplice,
and she confronts him about his finances and the fact that she's lent him all this money.
She's clearly, by this stage, beginning to realize what he is and who he is. I think that perhaps she confronts him
and there's an argument about her demanding the money back. And of course, Bhayani probably can't
pay her back because his life is a tissue of lies, essentially. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: I don't believe
that the murder was planned. I think Carole smelt a rat. I think Carole threatened-- she threatened
to go to the authorities. Bhayani desperately needed money to feed his growing gambling addiction
and to pay back the gangsters for the counterfeit cash. BRYANNA FOX: I think throughout this case,
there's a lack of planning that's evident in Bhayani's behaviors. It seems that Bhayani and Carole
had gotten into a heated argument, actually, the same day that she had been killed.
Certainly, it may not have been his ultimate goal to kill her. But even though he was engaging in these fraud and
financial schemes to benefit himself, he was absolutely willing to engage in this violent crime
to cover it up. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: Carole obviously didn't know how bad he was.
When you're financially and emotionally involved with someone, you don't want to admit that you've made a big mistake.
But of course, you still want to try and find a way to recoup your losses. She was owed a lot of money.
And she wanted that money back. She couldn't afford to take the losses of not having that money.
BRYANNA FOX: She wanted to believe that she had this partner. She was getting older in age.
She really didn't have a lot of people around her. So somebody that was going to take care of her, that
wanted to spend time with her, I think she really wanted to believe that he liked her that much, and he was going to do that.
And he was very good at hiding it. He was stealing things from her. He had answers to where the money went.
It wasn't entirely apparent how much he was taking advantage of her. And if she did have any thoughts of him doing this,
I think she tried to put it out of her mind. MARTIN EVANS: Carole Waugh was a very trusting person.
I think, essentially, her biggest failing was the fact that she was so trusting.
When she met Bhayani she believed she'd met, as she said, one of the good guys. Tragically for her, it was the complete opposite.
She wanted to believe in him. I think she wanted to believe in people and the good
in people. SENIOR INVESTIGATING OFFICER: These men had absolutely no conscience that Carole had been killed.
All they cared about is how they could keep this fraud going and how much money they could get.
MARTIN EVANS: Unfortunately for her, she met a man who was greedy, callous, and essentially
cared nothing but himself. [MUSIC PLAYING] [THEME MUSIC]

After years abroad, London professional Carole Waugh looks for romance online and meets a smooth talker — who targets her home and fortune.

This true crime series delves into cases where financial schemes spiral into betrayal, violence and murder, exposing the deadly cost of lies fueled by greed.

For More FilmRise Check Out Our Other Channels: FilmRise Television: https://www.youtube.com/⁨@UCVVXDVee0JZ2dlPYtpdTZVg FilmRise Movies: https://www.youtube.com/@FilmRiseMovies Highway to Heaven - Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@HighwaytoHeavenFullEpisodes

Brief Summary

Carole Waugh's disappearance leads to the discovery of fraud and murder by her partner Rakesh Bhayani and accomplice Nicholas Kutner.

Key points

The Dirty Rotten Scoundrel Case. A case of romance fraud that spiraled into tragedy, leaving a life shattered.
Bhayani's Dark Past. Rakesh Bhayani, a charming con man, had a history of fraud and deception.
The Suspicious Loans. Bhayani's manipulation led Carole to lend him significant amounts of money, raising red flags.
Carole Waugh's Mysterious Disappearance. In April 2012, Carole Waugh vanished without a trace, raising alarms among her family.
The Investigation Begins. Police uncover inconsistencies in Carole's phone data, suggesting foul play.
Bhayani's Fraudulent Behavior. After Carole's death, Bhayani continued to exploit her assets for money.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This was a tragedy.

1:02WatchMar 4, 2026

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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