ACCRINGTON businessman David Guilfoyle was described by associates and even those closest to him as "womaniser" and a "wheeler dealer".

At the time of his disappearance, the father-of-one was in a relationship with Debbie Fitzpatrick, Shane Fitzpatrick's ex-wife.

But he was also having an affair with another woman, Adele Walton.

Police said he also had a "complicated" business life and his links to organised crime, mainly through the illegal sale of cigarettes, were put under the microscope during the investigation.

His activities even prompted Mrs Fitzpatrick and Mr Guilfoyle's friends to clear away incriminating evidence and cash before police searched his home, in case he turned up and got into trouble because of what officers found.

Mr Guilfoyle, 37, met Mrs Fitzpatrick, of Hill Street, Baxenden, in an Accrington pub in November 2003, while she was still with her ex-husband.

During the trial at Preston Crown Court she said: "I just met him on a night out. I was with friends in a pub and so was he. I had known him for a long time so we spoke. It didn't go any further initially. We became friends and I told him I was leaving Shane.

"David had given me his phone number to ring him. I didn't have a mobile phone at the time and he was going away on holiday so he gave me a mobile phone so he could keep in touch with me.

"I said it wouldn't be a good idea to see each other while I was still married. He was seeing someone else as well and that wasn't going well. We decided it would be better that we wait until each side had been sorted out.

"We had no more contact until I had left Shane and moved into a house in Spencer Street. After that we went out for a meal together and carried on seeing each other."

The mother-of-four said she and Mr Guilfoyle had an "on-off" relationship, falling out and not seeing each other for a while, then getting back together.

But at the time of his disappearance they were together and had seen each other several times on the day he was last seen.

However, that day he was also making plans to go on holiday with Adele Walton.

In court Miss Walton said that although she would not class herself as his girlfriend, they did have a sexual relationship and in 2003 she had an abortion after falling pregnant with Mr Guilfoyle's child.

Miss Walton said on the day he went missing they were discussing the possibility of going on holiday and were due to talk about it further on the next day.

She said: "I asked him if he would go on holiday with me. He said that it sounded like a good idea and that we would talk about it."

Mr Guilfoyle had told Miss Walton that he wasn't happy with Debbie Fitzpatrick, the court was told.

When concerns were raised about Mr Guilfoyle's disappearance and a murder investigation was launched police also started looking into his business dealings.

The legitimate side of his business was property development. He owned 12 houses in the Accrington area, which he rented out. He also had a property in Cyprus and was building a home in Spain.

But most of his earnings came from the illegal sale of cigarettes, on which duty hadn't been paid, as well as counterfeit clothes and DVDs.

The court also heard he had begun to sell Viagra tablets.

In January 2000, Mr Guilfoyle was convicted of possessing almost 17,000 smuggled cigarettes he had been selling cheap. He had to pay £2,537 in duty and was given 100 hours' community service.

He was also jailed for eight months for possessing fake banknotes in June, 2000.

Friend, James Wilmott, who owns a bike shop in Clayton-le-Moors, said he often bought cigarettes from him.

He said: "The main source of his income was from selling cigarettes. He was buying these from associates in Wigan. In the last six months he told me he wanted to cut down on this.

"Over the last four years I have bought cigarettes from him. I bought 50 sleeves (200 cigarettes in a sleeve) every four or five weeks.

"When I saw him socially he would ask if I wanted any more and would order them. After that he would contact me and we would arrange for them to be handed over."

Another friend, Stephen Popplewell, who he met through playing pool, said: "I can best describe him as a Jack the Lad, who lived life to the full without wanting to hurt anyone. A lot would be envious of his lifestyle. I knew he was no angel."