Robert Hendy-Freegard was illegally breeding dogs while living in the French village of Vidaillat, according to the local mayor, Martine Laporte. French workplace and animal rights inspectors, accompanied by police, raided the remote home where he lived with his partner on Thursday, Lapore told AFP. According to French police, while officers were asking his partner to accompany them to the nearest station, Hendy-Freegard started his vehicle and hit two officers before fleeing. One required hospital treatment for a nose wound. Local prosecutors have opened an investigation. Hendy-Freegard faces charges of attempted murder of a public servant, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Earlier this year, Hendy-Freegard was the subject of a three-part Netflix documentary The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman, in which the children of a woman believed to be his current partner said he disappeared after meeting him. In 2005, Hendy-Freegard was sentenced to life in prison by a London court in 2005 for fraud, theft and kidnapping, although the kidnapping charges were overturned on appeal and he was released from prison in 2009. Neighbors said Hendy-Freegard’s partner lived in “horrendous conditions” in the isolated house in the middle of the forest and was rarely seen in the village, unlike Hendy-Freegard, who made regular trips to Britain. “She never went outside, except in her little yard,” a neighbor surnamed Serge told AFP. “I have written to the police, the prefect, the town hall since 2017, but they did not take it seriously,” he added. The couple’s dogs have now been cared for by French animal charity SPA. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. During his trial in London, the court heard that Hendy-Freegard was said to live by the motto “Lies must be big to be convincing”. He convinced his victims to believe he was a British intelligence officer and was on the run from terrorists. Sarah Smith, one of his victims, recalled incidents such as being taken to a so-called “safe house” with a bucket over her head and having to hide in a cupboard to avoid visitors.
