Fuel fraudster to shell out £932

May 1 2008

A STONEHOUSE man who reset a fuel card before fraudulently using it to buy diesel at four petrol stations has been fined.

Graeme Brownlie (40), of Patrickholm Avenue, came into possession of a BP card in the name of Mitie Property Services Ltd on February 19, 2006, at Burnbrae Street, Larkhall.

The following day, he bought fuel from four petrol stations in Ayrshire. He claimed he was a member of staff at Mitie and used the card to pay for the diesel.

Mitie Property Services Ltd are a building maintenance and refurbishment company with premises in Airdrie.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last week, Brownlie admitted charges of resetting the fuel card and fraudulently using it to buy diesel.

But he denied charges of fraudulently changing the registration plates of a van at Harthill Services on February 20, 2006, before buying more fuel at Bothwell Services, a Livingston petrol station and also two in Harthill. These not guilty pleas were all accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Joyce Powrie ordered Brownlie to pay £632 in compensation to Mitie. She also fined him £100 for resetting the card, and a further £200 for using it at the four petrol stations.