Daughter's tsunami death was lie
Philip Bosson: Believed his own story
A hoaxer has been found guilty of wasting police time after claiming he lost a daughter in the Asian tsunami.
Philip Bosson, 39, told officers his former wife called him to say their daughter Kayleigh had been killed.
But inquiries revealed she did not exist and his family was not involved. Bosson, of Brixington Lane, Exmouth, Devon was bailed until 11 January.
The district judge told him he had a jail term "in mind", before adjourning the case for pre-sentence reports.
Looking into Kayleigh's alleged death is thought to have involved hundreds of police officers and other investigators, and cost Devon and Cornwall Police alone more than £6,000.
Only Mr Bosson will know why he made up the existence of a daughter
Police statement
Bosson told police he flew out to Sri Lanka after his former wife called him to say their daughter had been killed in the disaster, Plymouth Magistrates' Court heard.
He also claimed his ex-wife had lost her new husband and two children to the killer waves.
Giving evidence, Bosson insisted he did have a daughter named Kayleigh with his ex-girlfriend Michelle Dillon but had been told to stay away by her father.
Stephen Nunn, defending, asked him: "Do you still believe what you are saying?"
Bosson said: "Yes."
But the real Michelle Dillon, whose married name is Perie and who now lives with her husband and daughter Emma in Carnforth, Lancashire, told the court she never had a child with Bosson.
Song name
She said the pair met in Silverdale, Lancashire, about 20 years ago and had a relationship for no more than a year.
She said she recognised the name Kayleigh because it was the title of a song by the band Marillion, which Bosson used to play in his car.
After the hearing a statement was issued on behalf of Operation Bracknell, the British police response to the tsunami disaster.
It read: "Only Mr Bosson will know why he made up the existence of a daughter, Kayleigh, who he claimed to have seen in January in a temporary mortuary.
"It was later established that this claim was nothing short of fictitious. Mr Bosson never thought about the consequences of his own sad fantasy
Philip Bosson: Believed his own story
A hoaxer has been found guilty of wasting police time after claiming he lost a daughter in the Asian tsunami.
Philip Bosson, 39, told officers his former wife called him to say their daughter Kayleigh had been killed.
But inquiries revealed she did not exist and his family was not involved. Bosson, of Brixington Lane, Exmouth, Devon was bailed until 11 January.
The district judge told him he had a jail term "in mind", before adjourning the case for pre-sentence reports.
Looking into Kayleigh's alleged death is thought to have involved hundreds of police officers and other investigators, and cost Devon and Cornwall Police alone more than £6,000.
Only Mr Bosson will know why he made up the existence of a daughter
Police statement
Bosson told police he flew out to Sri Lanka after his former wife called him to say their daughter had been killed in the disaster, Plymouth Magistrates' Court heard.
He also claimed his ex-wife had lost her new husband and two children to the killer waves.
Giving evidence, Bosson insisted he did have a daughter named Kayleigh with his ex-girlfriend Michelle Dillon but had been told to stay away by her father.
Stephen Nunn, defending, asked him: "Do you still believe what you are saying?"
Bosson said: "Yes."
But the real Michelle Dillon, whose married name is Perie and who now lives with her husband and daughter Emma in Carnforth, Lancashire, told the court she never had a child with Bosson.
Song name
She said the pair met in Silverdale, Lancashire, about 20 years ago and had a relationship for no more than a year.
She said she recognised the name Kayleigh because it was the title of a song by the band Marillion, which Bosson used to play in his car.
After the hearing a statement was issued on behalf of Operation Bracknell, the British police response to the tsunami disaster.
It read: "Only Mr Bosson will know why he made up the existence of a daughter, Kayleigh, who he claimed to have seen in January in a temporary mortuary.
"It was later established that this claim was nothing short of fictitious. Mr Bosson never thought about the consequences of his own sad fantasy
