THE former high-profile art dealer Ronald Coles is a man of few words.
For the past three years, he dodged dozens of irate clients who entrusted him with their life savings, including superannuation funds, and then refused to co-operate with a police investigation into his business affairs.
But now, Mr Coles, 64, faces up to 10 years in jail over an alleged art fraud scheme that left more than 40 people who had purchased his paintings as investments more than $8 million out of pocket.