Mansfield man’s ‘unusual’ £2,000 repairs fraud ‘started with a good deed’

Scott Allen’s victim bought a van, but the timing belt broke within weeks and she struggled to get it fixed by the garage where she purchased it, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard.

Nicole Baugham, prosecuting, said the victim met Allen, aged 50, on a Facebook group called Beat the Bailiffs and he managed to get £1,500 back from the garage.

She paid him £100 as a thank you and Allen then suggested he could get a friend to carry out repairs.

In all, his victim paid him £1,925 between September 12 and October 16, last year.

However, after the mechanic told her he had not received any money, Allen admitted he had given the money to a friend to pay off a drug debt.

The police were informed and he was given a caution and told to repay the money. He was charged with fraud after failing to repay any of it.

Ms Baugham said: “This is an unusual fraud. It appears to have started with a good deed by Allen.”

The court heard he has six previous convictions for 12 offences. A suspended sentence for driving offences was activated in November.

A probation officer said he engages “really well” with the post-sentence supervision order and attends all his appointments”.

Allen, of Coppice Road, Forest Town, admitted four counts of fraud by false representation.

Ian Pridham, mitigating, told magistrates: “His hope was he would be able to pay all of this money back. He is on PIP and benefits and hasn't been able to.

“This isn't sophisticated and it wasn't pre-planned. It occurs to me you may want to focus on compensation so there will be no need for her to go through the civil court to get the money back.”

Allen was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, which means he can be re-sentenced if he commits any new offences in the next year. He was also ordered to pay £1,925 compensation, which will be added to the £5,000 he already owes the court.