Wembley City trader accused of £73m scam ‘abandoned ex-lover with baby and £130k hotel bill’

A heartbroken divorcee told a court how her former lover from Wembley left her with a £130,000 hotel bill and not enough money to pay for their baby’s nappies.

Luis Nobre, 49, of Tristan Court in King George Crescent, was allegedly part of a gang of fraudsters who swindled a Dutch shipping company out of £73million by posing as financiers capable of doubling their investment.

Southwark Crown Court heard claims that Nobre met wealthy divorcee Victoria Weir in Geneva in the summer of 2010 and boasted of his complicated and lucrative deals.

He claimed he had £80m frozen in a Swizz bank account because a transfer had been mishandled, and began relying on Ms Weir to fund his champagne lifestyle.

When she fell pregnant, Nobre left her in the five star Landmark Hotel in central London, with their baby daughter and a £130,000 hotel bill, it is claimed.

The court has heard Ms Weir’s funds, largely from a divorce settlement from her former husband, were beginning to run out and when her breast milk dried up she had to rely on friends to help her buy baby formula and nappies.

In the middle of June 2011, Nobre left Ms Weir to go to Switzerland for a ‘few days’ but never returned.

He is on trial with solicitor Buddika Kadurugamuaw, 46, from Hendon, who allegedly helped launder the loot.

Third defendant Nadeem Khan, 54, was also accused of helping Nobre clean the dirty cash but died shortly before the start of the trial.

Nobre denies one count of acquiring criminal property, five counts of transferring criminal property and three counts of possession of articles for use in fraud.

Kadurugamuwa denies one count of being concerned in a money laundering arrangement, and one count of transferring criminal property.

The trial continues.