The complete article can be found here: Metro.co.uk

‘Psychic mesmerised me to spend £12,000 on her’

When racing driver Jim Gotobed fell for his Tarot card reader he crossed her palm with more than silver.

The 50-year-old amateur racer lavished £12,000 on blonde psychic Tracie Long during a ten-month affair.

But he told magistrates he felt ‘hypnotised’ after his sessions with Ms Long and came out of each one ‘more deeply in love with her’.

Mr Gotobed’s attraction for the psychic, which resulted in him divorcing his wife of 25 years, unfolded in court where he was cleared of harassing Ms Long.

She had accused him of texting her repeatedly, writing to her parents, contacting a local newspaper, reporting her to the spiritualists’ professional association and threatening to kill her.

But magistrates’ chairman Ian Fuller said 48-year-old Ms Long had been ‘evasive’ in her testimony whereas he considered Mr Gotobed to be ‘honest, straightforward and convincing’.

After the case, Mr Gotobed admitted he had been ‘gullible’, adding: ‘I realise now she was after my money.’

The father of two, from Romford, in Essex, said he had known Ms Long 30 years earlier and their friendship was rekindled through Facebook.

He told Chelmsford magistrates’ court her first Tarot reading related to his marriage and she said he should ‘get a quick divorce’.

After further readings, in which he was told to ‘unburden’ himself, the sales manager sold his prized racing car, guns and guitar collections.

He had arranged for his wages to be paid into her account and handed in his notice at work after she told him he wasn’t earning enough. He said Ms Long had told him their future was predicted in the cards and that he would marry her.

Ms Long described his love as ‘obsessed’ and told the court he had threatened to shoot her when their relationship ended.

She said she had only given him a non-professional ‘mini reading’ and denied telling him they would be married.

(Chelmsford  – know it well. Of course, I personally found this article rather amusing.  Others might not find it so.)