British conman on the run after string of crimes in SA

A British fugitive who was successfully sued by Manchester United in a high-profile fraud case in the '90s is on the run in South Africa.

It seems Brandon William Pyatt has not changed his ways, and he is now being sought by the South African police for defrauding a Durban business partner and stealing his vehicle in October last year.

It is the latest in a string of crimes Pyatt has committed . In 2009, he was arrested for turning his home on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast into a dagga farm, but after being released on bail he missed the subsequent court appearance and absconded.

Pyatt has evaded capture for nearly 20 years, having fled the UK shortly after being sentenced to six years in prison by a court in Manchester in 1996.

Pyatt - who goes under a host of pseudonyms, including Gary Pyatt, Robert Kershaw, Brian Moriarty and Brandon Hinchcliffe - was also reportedly arrested in Howick in 2010 for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Pyatt's 1996 conviction came for using the likeness of Manchester United legend Eric Cantona on a range of French wines and brandies. The club took him to court for fraud and breaching copyright laws. He is listed as "most wanted" on the Crimestoppers-UK website.

"Brandon William Pyatt is wanted on warrant after being sentenced to six years imprisonment for theft, deception and fraud. He uses several other alias and has committed offences in the Manchester area," the website states.

Instead of serving jail time, Pyatt fled to South Africa, seemingly moving between Pietermaritzburg and, most recently, the Eastern Cape.

Durban man Richard Simpson, who started a business with Pyatt selling firelighting sachets, said this week that he was Pyatt's latest victim. His Jeep was stolen by Pyatt in October last year, and the Brit has been on the run since.

But before his vehicle was stolen, Simpson had been liaising with South African and British police over suspicions that his business partner was indeed the convicted fraudster.

Simpson has since been on a mission to get Pyatt to finally pay for his litany of crimes.

The results of fingerprint analysis this week confirmed his suspicions - the man he had been warning police about was in fact Pyatt.

Simpson said he first contacted Crimestoppers-UK, but received little assistance.

Then, from April last year, he was in contact with the South Yorkshire police, who handled the original case against Pyatt. He also contacted the SAPS and the Hawks. He said he was told by the Hawks to continue the relationship with Pyatt while fingerprint verification was being done.

He did this, but before any action was taken, Pyatt borrowed Simpson's Jeep and fled.

Simpson said he was convinced that an arrest could have been made if police had acted faster.

Even after Pyatt had fled, Simpson was able to establish his whereabouts through Pyatt's ex-girlfriend and another business partner.

Pyatt was staying in Camperdown, about 55km west of Durban. But when he and two police officers went to the house on November 2, they found that Pyatt had left with the Jeep two days earlier.

"We have tried everything possible, but it is almost as if someone out there does not want this man caught," said Simpson.

KwaZulu-Natal police said this week they were not aware of any investigation into Pyatt .

South Yorkshire police and the Hawks declined to comment.