A policeman from Helston with a huge gambling addiction who used his charm and threats to manipulate and rip off vulnerable women was jailed yesterday for five years and three months.

PC Chris Higgs, who served as a response officer in the Helston area, was arrested in relation to 16 criminal offences including blackmail, perverting the course of justice, witness interference and fraud and has been suspended from duties since January 2013.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that four women ‘fell foul of his charms’ and when that did not work on them they he ‘cajoled them or threatened them’.

Higgs’ barrister Robert Linford described the suspended constable as a ‘monster’ who acted ‘shamefully and despicably’ to them.

He said a conservative estimate by police said that Higgs, from Helston, Cornwall, blew £163,640 on his betting addiction.

Jailing him Judge Paul Darlow said:”Over a period of three years you defrauded four single women who in their way were managing financially.

“They did not have much but it was their own.”

The judge said Higgs used ‘control, manipulation, persuasion and threats to get them to part with large sums of money which they could ill afford to lose’.

He said Higgs blackmailed one victim who was involved in family proceedings and pervert the course of justice to lie and destroy evidence against him.

The judge said:”It was a gross abuse of trust. You are a disgrace to the Devon and Cornwall constabulary.”

Mr Linford said:”He did not set out to befriend each of the complainants in order to defraud them. They were people for whom he had a genuine feeling of affection and for whom he wanted to be with.

“But in the background Christopher Higgs had a secret, it was not itself a particularly well hidden secret. It was his addiction.

“There is no excuse for what he did. It is the reason that lay behind his shameful behaviour over the years that he has offended.

“With that addiction everything was on the line, everything was up for grabs – his career, his relationship with his family, his future and his relationships with women for whom he had a genuine affection.

“He is rightly portrayed as a monster in the way he behaved.”

Mr Linford said Higgs’ word was ‘as good as his next bet’ and he said he woke, thought during the day and went to sleep thinking about gambling.

“His behaviour has had a profound effect on others.”

The father of one has tried to quit the Devon and Cornwall force – but the chief constable has refused to accept it and Higgs faces a hard time on jail as a police officer.

The victims made statements in which they told of the horrendous effects suffered at his hands.

One of them, single mum of one Bryony Nunn, said he pressurised her daily into handing over money and ‘begged and pleaded for money’.

She said she was left ‘unable to feed herself’ and she was left ‘on her hands and knees begging and Higgs laughed in her face’ She said it had been ‘a horrific nightmare he has put me under’.

Another victim who lost £26,500 to him, said she was manipulated and preyed on by Higgs and she branded him ‘scum’ She said Higgs threatened suicide – and he even stole money from one victim’s young son.

Higgs told police all the women were aware of his gambling problem.

Higgs admitted 12 fraud charges and three of blackmail, witness intimidation and attempting to pervert the course of justice and he was jailed for a total of 63 months.

Because he has no assets the judge made a nominal £1 confiscation order against Higgs who was led away in handcuffs.