Victim: I was blinded by love

Sep 14 2007

THE victim of Ragan and Brown's deceit said today he had been blinded by love.

Bjorn Thomassen was described as "somewhat naive" as the case was outlined at Birmingham Crown Court.

But he said he never doubted Ragan's feelings for him were genuine until the evidence began to stack up.

"It's like a television saga but there were no actors and it was all real," he said.

"The case touched on treachery beyond most people's comprehension.

"It was a terrible blow but life goes on. If nothing else, it could be seen as a test of character.

"Not many people would be put in that situation and I feel I reacted in an admirable way.

"If you love someone, they deserve your trust and I trusted Priya.

"It was all structured in a clever way to deliberately deceive me. I trusted her until the point things didn't stack up."

In a statement read to the court, Mr Thomassen said: "I was totally in love with her and I thought she felt the same about me.

"She completely sucked me in with her lies. Our relationship was not real. It was based on a tissue of lies, one she promoted with Mangaliso Brown."