NSW serial scammer Brenton Jarrett back in court on lonely hearts scam

He pretended to be related to Johnny Depp and Alfred Hitchcock – and now Brenton Jarrett is back before the courts for a dating scam.

A serial conman, whose web of lies has included Johnny Depp and Alfred Hitchcock, has allegedly struck again with another lonely hearts scam.

Brenton Robert Jarrett has spent his life in and out of handcuffs because “delusional thinking” leads him to create aliases and scams, a court heard in 2020.

The 49-year-old’s criminal history goes back to 1998 when he ran out on a bill.

But it escalated into bizarre headlines when he began claiming to be related to the rich and famous.

Jarrett has claimed to be Johnny Depp’s brother, US actor Skeet Ulrich from Scream and the grandson of legendary Hollywood film director Alfred Hitchcock among his scams.

On another occasion he was convicted of falsely claiming to own a modelling agency to trick aspiring models with promises of jobs as TV weather girls.

Serial conman Brenton Robert Jarrett.

Jarrett lives in the south of NSW and was a long way from home, in the north of the state, when he catfished a 21-year-old woman in mid-2020, Grafton Local Court heard.

Jarrett was required to use his real identity online and needed to advise police of his movements because he’s a registered sex offender in NSW and Victoria — but he did neither, the court found.

The magistrate locked Jarrett away for a year before releasing him on parole after six months in early 2021.

Police came after Jarrett just months after his release alleging he failed to meet his reporting obligations three times and had dishonestly obtained money by deception.

The Daily Telegraph understands Jarrett allegedly tricked another woman online using a dating website and attempted to meet up with her and obtain money in mid-2020.

The woman only came forward after Jarrett was hauled before Grafton court for failing to communicate with police.

Jarrett couldn’t be found for months, The Daily Telegraph understands, and wasn’t charged until December 2021 after a court issued a warrant for his arrest.

His parole was revoked and he has been held in custody to await his next court date.

The State Parole Authority, on Thursday, upheld the decision meaning Jarrett will remain in a remand cell until he finishes his upcoming court case.

Jarrett made no application for release from the Covid-19 locked down Junee prison when his matter was heard in Albury Local Court on Monday.

He will next appear in court on February 7 where he must enter a plea to the charges.