Conman jailed for tickets fraud

Feb 2 2012

A serial conman with 30 previous convictions for fraud has been jailed for eight months at the Old Bailey.

John Cardno, 28, from Edinburgh, was told by Judge John Bevan QC that he was close to being "a professional fraudsman".

He was sentenced for one count of fraud by false representation, after falsely claiming on the website Gumtree that he had four tickets to the V Festival.

Victim Anthony Wadsworth-Hill was conned into paying £720 for the non-existent tickets in July 2010.

Passing sentence, the judge said: "You are close to being a professional fraudsman with 30 previous convictions for fraud. It's argued before me that this was low value - whether Mr Wadsworth-Hill thought £720 was low value or not I don't know."

He went on: "People are entitled to use electronic means, whether Gumtree or emails, to conduct their business and you had no tickets and you conned Mr Wadsworth-Hill out of £700 plus."

Cardno has a string of previous convictions, the most recent being a £26,000 fraud in 2008 for which he received a 15-month jail sentence.

Judge Bevan said: "This case in my judgment falls outside of the (sentencing) guidelines, they are for somebody of good character. Your character runs to several pages."

The fraudster had entered a not guilty plea at the Old Bailey on Monday, but changed his plea later that day. He was ordered to pay £450 to his victim as compensation, and was warned that if he had not done so within 28 days he would be brought back to court.

Before sentencing, the judge said: "I would remind him that I have 56 days in which to vary the sentence... If I find I have been misled I will have him back within 56 days and consider increasing it if he has been conning me." Cardno will serve half the eight-month term in prison.