The jury in the trial of a man dubbed "a Prince among confidence tricksters" was shown extracts of a video today showing the defendant Sulaiman Al-Kehaimi giving the singer Cher the keys to a Lamborghini Diablo.

Al-Kehaimi, 39, who is on trial at Oxford Crown Court for various charges including theft and attempting to obtain property by deception, was shown lavishing the expensive gift on the singer for her 50th birthday present while entertaining her at a £50m chateau in Grasse, Monte Carlo, during the running of the Grand Prix. Extracts from the video showed the defendant, of Upton Close, Henley, presenting the clearly embarrassed Cher with the keys to the sports car saying: "I love it very much and I would like you to have it."

The jury watched Cher kiss the defendant twice and reply: "I can't believe this. This is your car you're giving me, one of your cars that you love very much. I could never give it away." Later extracts showed her sitting behind the wheel of the gleaming yellow sports car.

However, she never received the vehicle and it transpired the car was sold to repay debts that he had incurred. The video, shot by Cher's manager in May 1996, shows assembled guests at the chateau referring to the defendant as "your excellency" and "the sheikh". One of the guests even refers to the defendant "as one of the wealthiest men in the world".

Simon Brand, prosecuting, said: "All that was pretence, fantasy, a fairy story."

The defendant is alleged to have masqueraded as a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family, the owner of the Formula One Tyrrell racing team and a colonel in the Air Force, with all the trappings of immense wealth to conduct his fraudulent behaviour, the court was told. He denies one charge of theft of £55,000 in November, 1995, and one charge of attempting to obtain £40,000 by deception in June, 1996.

He also denies a further four charges of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception between November, 1995, and March, 1997.

The case continues.

Story date: Wednesday 20 October

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