THE victim of a serial love rat jailed last week for defrauding her of £17,000 has said she feels “exonerated”.

Jo Ward, 44, who lives near Bridgwater, was devastated when she discovered her relationship with 44-year-old Simon Reid was built entirely on lies.

During their relationship, he falsely claimed to be an international speed wall climber with £285,000 tied up in American property, and tricked Jo into lending him £17,000 to start up a business and other costs - claiming he would return it when money came in from the USA.

He even claimed he had had to switch off his own father's life support machine - a lie Jo uncovered when she phoned his parent's house and found out he was very much alive.

Jo later discovered Reid was married to another woman in America and had also been seeing another woman in Devon.

Later it was discovered he had been cheating on two other women in Devon, and had tricked one out of £1,000.

He was finally caught when Jo and the three women from Devon confronted him, and he gave a recorded confession on video camera.

At Plymouth Crown Court this week, Reid was jailed for 30 months after admitting two counts of fraud. Judge Kevin De Haan told him: “You told lies that frankly Baron von Munchausen would have been proud of.”

Reid's solicitor said he had fully admitted his guilt and had no money left.

Afterwards, Jo told the Mercury: “By the end of our first long conversation, he had described himself as having everything I wanted in a man.

“He was God-fearing, wanted to remarry, loved animals and hated cheats.

“He told me he had £285,000 tied up in property in America and was waiting for it to come through, so I helped him set up his business and he was going to pay me back.

“People may think I was foolish for lending him money and accepting the things he told me, but he was very clever and manipulating. I was going to marry this man.

“When someone looks at you with teary eyes and tells you they have just switched off their dad's life support machine, why would you think they were lying?”

She added: “I feel exonerated. When he took my last £1,500, I said to him, “you can borrow my money, but please don't break my heart”. But he did both.

“I loved him, and he used me and my family. Now I finally feel that justice has been served.”

Jo and Reid's other victims have been at the centre of a worldwide media frenzy since he was caught and jailed.