Ex-policeman accused of posing as friend’s gay lover to inherit fortune
Marcus Alder, 48, of Cambridgeshire, denied trying to trick the family of his deceased friend Phillip Tyssen-Gee in court today.
Mr Alder, who was briefly employed as a police officer, found his friend dead at his Somersham home in November 2006 and made the 999 call telling the emergency services that Mr Tyssen-Gee had committed suicide.
Peterborough Crown Court heard that Mr Alder later gained entry to Mr Tyssen-Gee’s home and planted what the prosecution claim was a fake suicide note.
The note said that Mr Tyssen-Gee wanted Mr Alder to inherit at least £100,000 of his estate.
Mr Alder claims that he and Mr Tyssen-Gee were gay lovers, although it had been kept secret, and that he was dependent on the deceased.
He is accused of forcing two men to sign letters supporting this claim.
Mr Alder’s ex-wife claims that he was “100% heterosexual,” but he protested that she was aware of his bisexuality and “won’t accept it.”
The court heard how his ex-wife, Angela Greig, claimed that Mr Alder had said on their wedding night: “I can stop pretending now; I’ve got you,” which the prosecution believe to be a reference to obtaining her finances.
Mr Alder denies 15 charges including blackmail, perjury, perverting the course of justice, possession of an illegal weapon, fraud, intimidation, and deception.
Mr Alder’s former business partner Steve Austin gave evidence at the court case today.
Mr Austin told the court that Mr Alder forced him to sign a letter supporting his claim to Mr Tyssen-Gee’s estate.
He also claimed that the letter he signed was only three lines long, whereas the letter Mr Alder produced was much longer.
The letter, addressed to the executor of Mr Tyssen-Gee’s estate, said that Mr Alder was in a civil partnership with Mr Tyssen-Gee.
Mr Austin said that a week after he had been forced to sign the letter, Mr Alder threatened him and warned him to keep the incident secret.
He told the court:
“We were driving from Ramsey to our business premises in Wyton.
“I remember Marcus asking me if I knew about a particular type of bullet used by the police.
“He didn’t say a lot and I thought to myself ‘Where is he taking this?’
Mr Austin claimed that Mr Alder then parked the car on the hard shoulder.
“He reached behind my seat and had a hand gun in his right hand,” Mr Austin continued.
“He said ‘This is to remind you that you say nothing and do nothing’.
“He put the gun out the driver’s side window and pulled the trigger.”
Mr Alder is accused of forcing another man, Jim Malyon, to sign a similar letter, but he denies that he intimidated either of the men.
He said: “Those are the letters that they signed at the time and if they are now frightened because of some sort of police investigation then I have every sympathy with him.”
Police found a note on Mr Alder’s computer after his arrest in 2007 that said his claims to be Mr Tyssen-Gee’s lover were “bollox.”
The note read: “I may be a bit odd, I may be money motivated, but for the record I am not gay or bisexual.
“I was just after money. It’s true, I am a greedy git.”
Mr Alder is accused of using other ways to try and obtain Mr Tyssen-Gee’s money.
Timothy Spencer QC for the prosecution told the court how Mr Tyssen-Gee informed his investment manager that he had met a girlfriend called Babs, and began making large withdrawals from his bank account.
Mr Spencer argued that “Babs” was not real, and had been created by Mr Alder to trick Mr Tyssen-Gee to handing over his money.
The Court also heard from Mr Alder’s former partner Brenda Cook, who claims that he forged her signature in order to get finance on three cars worth £40,000 in her name.
Mr Alder and Ms Cook lived together in 2004. Ms Cook described Mr Alder’s obsessive collection of weapons and pretence of being an MI5 agent.
She said that several times Mr Alder had thought they were being followed in his car and had taken a handgun out of the car to investigate.
She also said that he had answered the door to him whilst holding a machine gun, and that on several nights he had gone out for hours at a time claiming to be “on a mission.”
The trial continues.
