A former Home and Away star has taken to the witness stand at the legal appeal of a Melbourne woman who is accused of using his identity to hoodwink her alleged victims into relationships.
Lydia Abdelmalek, 31, is fighting to stay out of jail after being sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars for allegedly posing as celebrities to trick women.
Ms Abdelmalek, who was convicted of six stalking charges, is challenging both her sentence and conviction in the County Court of Victoria.
On Monday actor Lincoln Lewis, who also starred in the film Tomorrow, When The War Began, told the court about the moment he learnt his identity had been stolen.
In 2011, the actor had received a phone call from Emma*, a woman who he knew through friends.
"It's going to sound really weird saying it like this, have you and I been dating for the last couple of months," Lewis recalled Emma asking him.
Lewis told the court that the pair had not spoken for some years and he was baffled to learn he had supposedly been in a relationship with the woman.
"This person has photos and videos of me … I thought I was dating you," he recalled Emma telling him.
"She described it as intimate photos and videos, very revealing photos and videos."
The court also heard that a phone number Emma was ringing, and which she had assumed was putting her in touch with Lewis, had a recording of his real voicemail.
"She said … that's the same voicemail as the other phone number that I've got. That creeped her out a bit," Lewis said.
"Are you able to account for that at all?" crown prosecutor Angela Moran asked.
"The only conclusion I can come to is that it was recorded through that."
The actor told the court that Emma ultimately developed doubts about why they had not met in person.
"Every time she was trying to plan something to see each other in person, a new excuse would pop up. Whether I'd be apparently filming, I'd apparently have an audition, I'd apparently have an appearance," Lewis said.
Lewis was on Monday shown dozens of photographs of himself and quizzed about their origins, including a picture of a fake Queensland drivers licence.
"That's obviously my face, but that is not a face I've had on any drivers licence," he said.
"What should be a signature is actually my autograph."
At one point, and in response to being shown another photo, the actor pulled open the collar of his shirt to indicate that it may not have been real.
"I have two really apparent moles like one's here on my collarbone," he said, gesturing.
"If it's not prominent on that photo, then to me, it looks doctored."
The hearing continues.
* Names have been changed to protect identities.
