Last updated at 12:30, Tuesday, 18 November 2008

A FURNESS multiple sclerosis sufferer ended up with bailiffs at her door after an Ebay scamster used her address.

The woman, from Barrow who wasn’t named in court, was an innocent victim of a “sophisticated” fraud by 26-year-old Jonathon Hartley.

Hartley set up five accounts on the internet auction site and conned people out of thousands of pounds.

Burnley Crown Court heard Hartley tricked victims by first building up their trust with above-board sales of electrical goods.

He then set out to defraud them.

He twice used what turned out to be real addresses to get his accounts on the internet.

The Barrow multiple sclerosis sufferer ended up with bailiffs at her door demanding £2,750.

Hartley was jailed for 18 months after admitting five charges of obtaining services by deception, five of fraud and one of money laundering – converting criminal property.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Newell told Hartley: “This is a sophisticated, systematic and, on the face of it, complicated fraud of a large number of innocent people.”

As Hartley fought back the tears in the dock, the judge branded him a coward as he had not had to face the people he defrauded. The judge said everyone was in the dark as to why Hartley had done it as he did not appear to spend any money.

Hartley had £90,000 stashed away in two bank accounts, did not live the high life and was described by his family as dull and boring.

Hartley will face a proceeds of crime hearing in March.

Mr Jeremy Grout-Smith, prosecuting, said in 2007 the Lancashire Constabulary website received 32 complaints from the public over the conduct of a company trading through Ebay.

More than 1,630 complaints were received nationwide and beyond.

Of those, 642 were formalised.

Hartley had sold MP3 and MP4 digital players and memory sticks.

Goods were either never sent or illegal, cloned goods were dispatched.

Mr Philip Curran, defending, said: “He has learned his lesson.

“If he didn’t understand how serious this was, he understands now.”

The court was told Hartley, of Scotland Road, Nelson, Lancashire, had got involved in the fraud in 2006 and 2007 after he went to Hong Kong with his Chinese girlfriend.

First published at 11:48, Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk