​Champion racehorse trainer Venetia Williams appeared in court to give evidence in the trial of an alleged conman posing as the illegitimate heir of a billionaire banking family.

Alexander De Rothschild Hatton is said to have used phoney identification to swindle more than £300,000 from wealthy divorcee Christine Handy, from Cheltenham.

Ms Williams, a friend of Mrs Handy’s, told Bristol Crown Court she had met the defendant five or six times and she had lent £110,000 to her friend, who claims to have been left penniless.

De Rothschild Hatton, 49, of Bowling Green Road, Cirencester, has denied seven charges of obtaining money transfers by deception and three charges of obtaining property by deception.

Williams appeared smartly dressed in a blue jacket, dark blue jeans and riding boots yesterday to give evidence in the prosecution case against Hatton.

The 49-year-old, whose horse Mon Mome won the 2009 Grand National, confirmed she had lent 45-year-old Mrs Handy large sums of money twice – £65,000 initially, then £55,000.

She said the cash was loaned after drawing up a contract with a solicitor.

Asked by prosecutor Michael Mather-Lees if she had ever met the defendant, Williams said she had seen him five or six times.

She said she had met him once at a formal business investment presentation that he had given at her friend’s home.

Williams said Hatton had had an easel with a number of drawings of houses on it and was talking about business prospects.

Asked by Mr Mather-Lees what the purpose of the presentation was, Williams said: “I’m not sure because I think a few people were friends. It was more having a few people around for drinks.”

She said she did not invest any money.

The jury heard Williams had told police in a statement that she knew “there was talk of De Rothschild Hatton being made a scapegoat for the British Government” and said it was something Mrs Handy had told her.

The jury had previously heard the defendant had told Mrs Handy “preposterous lies” during their relationship between 2003 and 2006 in a bid to take her money and claimed that he was “governed” by the Official Secrets Act.

 These centred on claims he was the illegitimate son of Edmund De Rothschild, and he was educated at Eton College and  Oxford University.

The court has been told that despite having a baby boy with Mrs Handy, Hatton disappeared to America after she challenged him over his identity in 2006 when a member of his family told her he was not who he claimed to be.

Licensed insolvency practitioner David Hughes told the jury a bankruptcy order was made against Hatton on July 4, 2007.

He said claims had totalled £577,979.78 and the main creditor was Mrs Handy.

It was heard that the defendant was extradited back to the UK from America the following year.

A Sussex police officer, based at Gatwick Airport, told the jury she met the defendant off a flight from Newark on April 26, 2008, where he was arrested on suspicion of fraud.

The court heard that Hatton had replied: “I do know about it. It’s my son’s mother.”

Proceeding