In the late 1980s and/or early 1990s Tristram Norriss was employed by the life insurance house AMP/Pearl (now Phoenix Life) and initially, with his deceptively pleasant personality and public-school manner, successfully sold whole-of-life policies. It paid well: huge commissions up-front and he won awards for his performance. Norriss was able move into a big house in the posh area of Wellington Square in the genteel town of Cheltenham, England. He had a Ferrari and a Mercedes in the driveway.

Unfortunately, many of his policies were mis-sold. The investors thought they were buying single premium policies but Norriss had misleadingly signed them up for regular repeat premiums. The  security team from Head Office turned up one day: too many of his big investment policies were lapsing after two years and alarm bells rang. Norriss fled to Switzerland  leaving his fiancée to sort out the mess. Not surprisingly, the engagement was broken off.

This amounted to alleged major fraud and the police were involved. A few years later Norriss  returned to Cheltenham, doubtless running away from something else. The police re-opened their investigation and confiscated his passport, but they could not find sufficient evidence to charge him and the case lapsed.