She has been dubbed the “burlona de amor” (love cheat) for the number of men she duped with her charms over the years. But time looks like it has finally run out for Elizabeth Saraiva, 48.
A Setúbal judge has ruled in favour of eight of the nine men said to have been Saraiva’s victims, condemning the female love rat to 12 years and four months in jail.
According to reports, Saraiva netted “more than a million euros” by convincing her smitten suitors to part with their money in various schemes.
Among the duped were “businessmen, bank managers and even an agent with the Maritime Police”, explained Correio da Manhã.
“Just from one of them, she managed half a million euros”, said the paper. The Portuguese-South African brunette “said she was waiting to receive a fortune from the government of South Africa” for the registering patents, and borrowed the money - never paying any of it back.
Other men lost €100,000, €136,000, €20,000, the court heard - while a former cleaning lady was swindled to the tune of €20,000 which were apparently her “whole life’s savings”.
“All the testimonies were credible”, said Judge Pedro Godinho - adding that “normally” cases like these don’t get to court, as the people who have lost their money “are ashamed of themselves”.
Now, Saraiva - thought to be living in the Algarve with her father - is due to have her passport removed and confined to house arrest until the court’s decision is communicated to prison authorities.
CM explains the woman’s father helped her in her schemes, and has also been condemned to jail for three years, two months.
Neither were in court to hear their sentences, having submitted doctor’s certificates to justify their absences.
Article by kind permission of http://portugalresident.com
