Essex soldier facing up to seven years in jail for bigamy

Veteran soldier Jason Hayter, from Kirby Cross near Frinton, has admitted marrying for a second time and starting a family without having divorced his first wife.

The 48-year-old was caught out when his daughter from the later marriage messaged his earlier wife Tracey Larkcombe on Facebook and started asking questions.

Sara Hayter, his second wife who he married in April 2016, then contacted police after learning he had never been divorced from Tracey who he wed in 2010.

Prosecutor Sally Harris told the court he met both women on dating websites in 2008 and 2010, shortly before being posted to Germany with the army.

He married Mrs Larkcombe in 2010 when she was pregnant with their first child. They later had a second child together, in 2015.

After getting married, he took his wife's surname, becoming Jason Larkcombe.

However, his complicated love life saw him simultaneously exchanging messages and visits with Mrs Hayter.

They had their first child in 2014.

Following their marriage ceremony in 2016, they also had twins in 2018 before his previous marriage came to light.

Appearing in court in a wheelchair, Hayter admitted the charge.

Jason Hayter (Image: SWNS)

Magistrates were told the offence carries a maximum sentence of seven years but its rarity meant there are no sentencing guidelines.

Mrs Harris said the impact on Hayter’s two families and five children involved had been “very significant” and had been aggravated by it continuing over a long period with an overlap in the relationships.

“No effort was made to rectify the situation even when a divorce was asked for,” she added.

The court heard statements from his two wives, both of whom described Hayter going missing for lengthy periods often explained by the state of his mental health.

Mrs Larkcombe said while stationed in Germany with the army he was "always going backwards and forwards to the UK for training. I never thought anything was wrong".

"Him being away was normal for us," she added.

But after one disappearance he had sent her a text message saying “I don’t love you anymore I’m gay”.

She said she had been left to deal with debt collectors after he left permanently.

“He walked out on me and the children. He has never sent a birthday card and never asked about the children. We have had nothing from him," she said.

"I was shocked to learn that he had married again and had three other children.”

Mrs Hayter said he would explain absences as being due to his training as a paramedic for London Ambulance Service.

“We would always make plans together and at no point during this time did I suspect he had other families,” she said.

She added: “I don’t want anything more to do with him. I did not see this coming. He has manipulated me.

“I believe everything he has said to me is a lie. I don’t think he knows the truth anymore.”

Charles Judge, mitigating, said he had been in the armed forces for 24 years serving in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq and had since been diagnosed with PTSD and suffered a stroke last year.

He said his marriage in 2016 had been at a time when the 2010 marriage had broken down.

“This is not a case where any false documents have been produced to allow the second marriage,” he added.

Committing the case to be sentenced at Norwich Crown Court next month magistrates said it was a “very complicated case that has affected a lot of people”.