Gareth McGraa, 56, believed Nigerian-born Jessica, 37, was making money to fund the high life she loved, by selling hair extensions. Gareth told of his grief at her death – and his hurt that she had deceived him. The couple, who have a six-year-old son, split when the child was a year old . .
After that, Gareth says, they had several reunions and he always hoped they would end up back together permanently. Gareth, from Southport on Merseyside, said: “I honestly believed that she was making her money from hair extensions. She was a very pious girl – she dragged me to church even and that’s not easy.”
Jessica documented her life of luxury on her social media pages, showing off trips to the Italian Riviera, Hong Kong and New York along with designer clothes, shoes and handbags. Gareth was working as a chief mechanic with Atlantic Drilling in Nigeria in 2005 when he met Jessica in a Port Harcourt bar.
He said: “We were married in Nigeria very shortly after that. Her family were there and we celebrated in a hotel restaurant in Lagos. I knew she was using me for a passport to a certain extent but I felt more than that. We had our barneys like couples do but I spoke to her every other day. She was with me for 10 years.”
They last spoke 3 days before she was found dead in a flat in Aberdeen’s Union Terrace. Police broke the shattering news to Gareth – and revealed the shocking truth about her double life.
He insists he had no suspicion that Jessica was selling sex. He said: “She liked to be the centre of attention but she wasn’t a girl to put it about – she wasn’t at all like that, never. When I met her I don’t think she’d had more than a handful of lovers in all her life. She wasn’t cheap and liked her Gucci and Armani handbags. .
She loved the high life and wanted all her dreams to come true tomorrow. I knew what I was walking into but I really cared for her. To my mind, and hers, we were going to get back together at some point. I wanted it, she wanted it so why not? But I only ever got half the story. I thought I knew her and it hurts.”
