Philip Sessarego

Philip Anthony Sessarego (31 December 1952 – November 2008) was a former soldier of the British Army, conman, and best-selling author of the book Jihad! The Secret War in Afghanistan that was released prior to the 11 September attacks. Sessarego served in the Royal Artillery for a few years and underwent SAS Selection but failed twice. In 1993, Sessarego faked his own death claiming he was killed by a car bomb in Croatia. He was seen on television around 2001 under the name Tom Carew. He lived with his family near Stirling Lines at Hereford.

In November 2008, Philip Sessarego's body was found decomposed in a garage where he lived for a few months in Antwerp, Belgium, possibly of carbon monoxide poisoning. His remains are undergoing forensic DNA Tests by the Belgian Federal Police who believe it is possible he was murdered as his daughter claims he 'made enemies easily' since many ex/serving SAS Soldiers had 'scores to settle'.

The Channel 4 documentary, My Father the Mercenary, shows his remains being buried in St Martin's Church Hereford.

References

• Carew, Tom (17 September 2001). Jihad! The Secret War in Afghanistan. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 282. ISBN 978-1-84018-495-2. 
  • Carew, Tom (24 January 2009). "Extract from Jihad! The Secret War in Afghanistan". The Guardian (London). Military. My boss at MI6 gave me a Flashman novel as a joke. 
• Newsnight Transcript
• Who Dares Fibs
• Author lied about SAS membership
• SAS Hoaxer and Conman believed murdered
• SAS Fantasist Tom Carew: Was he murdered or did he fake his death?
• Channel 4, My Father the Mercenary
• Claire Sessarego: I dared to kill SAS dad
• The Documentary on Philip Sessarego on YouTube
• Matthijssens, Christophe (23 January 2009). "Britse bestsellerauteur dood terug gevonden in Ekeren". GVA Gazet (in Flemish) (Antwerp). 
• Squire, Alison Smith (10 October 2009). "My dad the SAS Walter Mitty". Daily Mail.