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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Jennifer Hyland

Search called off for 'missing man' as true identity as West Lothian love rat confirmed

Police have called off a search for a missing man after his true identity as a serial love rat, who conned a West Lothian woman, was revealed.

Officers launched a bid to trace 51-year-old David McGinn, from Cardonald, Glasgow, who was last seen on January 15 at Central Station.

Last month his true identity as David Anthony Kean, who has been conning women for more than 30 years, was uncovered. The rip-off Romeo, who has convictions for theft and dishonesty, has left a trail of heartbreak across the UK after meeting women on dating sites and stealing from them, reports the Daily Record.

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Kean was reportedly seen on board a flight from London Heathrow to Glasgow on January 30. Police have now said Kean is no longer being treated as a missing person.

Helen, one of Kean’s previous victims who he left penniless and pregnant after he ran off with her bank card in March 2012, has now warned others to be aware of the fraudster. Helen said: “Someone out there must know where he is and they must be wary of this man. It’s ­unbelievable that he has got away with this for so long. He has basically made a career out of breaking women’s hearts and stealing from them.

“David Kean isn’t a real person – he has no real past, no real friends, no fixed address and no job. He doesn’t use his own name or even his own accent sometimes.

“He is like a shadow of a person and just invents whatever character he wants to be next. He meets someone online, comes across as the nicest of people, then basically moves himself in and, before you know it, he’s gone – along with your money or possessions.

“This man needs to be brought to justice at long last.” Kean has been known to use Irish and Yorkshire accents and has used the aliases David Donald, David Ross, David Kayne, David Marshall, David Jamieson, David Cochrane and David Cunningham.

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He has been pulling his love-bombing ruse since as far back as 1992. Last week Janet Mighton, 51, of Whitburn, West Lothian, who was left £650 out of pocket in March 2015 after meeting Kean online, told how she feared he had struck again.

The same month he fled after Laura Mitchell, 52, from Paisley, gave him £50. In September 2015 Kean admitted five charges of theft and dishonesty between 2009 and 2012 and was jailed for two years. He was released in November 2013.

In April 2017 he stole £1500 from a mum of three. In December 2018 a woman from Leicestershire said he had fled with a £5000 diamond ring. Kean has several tattoos, including “Daddy’s Little Angel” and “Daddy’s Little Princess” on his arms.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Following extensive enquiries, David Kean has not been traced but is no longer being treated as a missing person.”

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