Mystery man's identity revealed by man claiming to be ex-boyfriend
The mysterious identity of a British man who was found dead in his Manly apartment is closer to being revealed, after two people came forward claiming to know his real name.
The man, known as Paul Lachlan to his close friends, was living a double life for 20 years and while his death wasn’t considered suspicious, police quickly realised that something about the case wasn’t right.
He had no passport, bank accounts, credit cards or government documentation, leading authorities to believe that his name was likely an alias.
Police launched another public appeal in December, to help identify the mystery man and in response two people have come forward.
A man claiming to be the deceased’s ex-boyfriend said the man’s real name was Jon Pritchard.
He said the pair travelled to Australia together in 1995 but their relationship “didn’t work out”.
“He was from Wigan (a town in Greater Manchester) and had a mother and sister,” Richard Martin told news.com.au.
Both men met in the UK, where they worked as chefs.
Mr Martin said he came across the police appeal on Facebook accidentally and recognised the photo immediately.
A British woman is currently being DNA tested after she contacted police claiming to be Lachlan’s sister.
She said she lost contact with her brother after he moved overseas when he was 19.
She said he was born in 1968, which was consistent with the theory that he was between the ages of 45 to 47.
Police have denied to comment on Mr Martin’s story or on whether the name ‘Jon Pritchard’ matches the description given by the woman.
Lachlan’s friends in Sydney were shocked when he died, and even more shocked by the revelation that he was living a double life.
His friends described him as “caring” and “gentle”, saying he was trustworthy and friendly.
“He was so loveable and so nice, he just had that real English charm,” one friend, Rochelle, told news.com.au.
She said her friends got the feeling that the secretive man like to ‘exaggerate things’, but it never bothered them too much.
Mr Martin said Lachlan’s ability to embellish the truth was one of the reasons why they ended their relationship.
“Not to be unkind, but he was a fantasist, which was one of the biggest problems (we had),” he said.
Rochelle said Lachlan told her he owned the apartment in Manly where he lived, however after his death, she found out it was owned by his flatmate.
He gave the impression that he communicated regularly with his family and frequently talked about his niece.
“I’m sure the niece came to visit, or he said she was coming for a visit, but we never actually saw her,” Rochelle said.
“It’s very creepy. It’s scary because we never thought for a minute that Paul wasn’t who he said he was. It never occurred to us.”
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News break – March 20
