A convicted fraudster who tried to trick his old company into paying for £6,000 worth of fuel has been given more time behind bars.
John Paterson admitted buying up gallons of fuel from service stations across central Scotland with a card registered to his previous employer.
Paterson, who used to work for Fife-based Peter Nelson Roofing, used the company’s card to buy fuel from at least 12 filling stations between February 3 and April 13 in 2019.
The 30-year-old, who was jailed in 2019 for duping vulnerable pensioners out of thousands of pounds, appeared via videolink at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to obtaining the fuel while pretending to petrol station attendants that he was entitled to do so.
Tour of Scottish pumps
In his tour of garages, Paterson, of Sidlaw Street in Kirkcaldy, visited stations in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Newport-on-Tay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Larkhall and Shotts.
The court heard that Paterson had left his job at the roofing firm just weeks before his fraudulent spending began.
The money was later paid back to the company by Paterson’s father.
Fiscal Depute Laura McManus said: “At an earlier stage, the accused had been employed by Mr Nelson.
“During his time of employment, he had access to work vehicles and a fuel card.
“It is understood that the accused’s father has reimbursed the complainer £6,000.”
Repaid in full
Paterson’s defence solicitor Kerr Sneddon told the court that repaying the money he spent illegally was a redeeming factor.
Mr Sneddon said: “The mitigation only comes from what he has done since.
“While at liberty, he arranged for the funds to be repaid in full.”
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis added a further six months onto Paterson’s time behind bars.
The Sheriff said: “It is a breach of trust.
“And it is a significant sum of money.”
Old women scammed
Paterson was handed a 32 month sentence earlier this year after scamming a 94-year-old woman out of a four figure sum of money.
It happened shortly after his fuel card spending spree.
In January 2021, Paterson admitted pretending to Phyllis Carter that he had carried out building or maintenance work on her roof at an address in Park Road West, Rosyth.
He pled guilty to, on various occasions between July 18, 2019, and July 25 2019, inducing the 94-year-old to provide him with a cheque for £1,000 and tried to persuade her to pay him further sums of money.
In reality, no work had been carried out and Ms Carter had not agreed for the work to be done.
Paterson similarly admitted conning another woman out of £360 on July 24, 2019, at an address in Durham Crescent, Lower Largo, by pretending to have carried out building work on behalf of Fife Council – when in actual fact that was not the case.
And Paterson also pled guilty to a further fraud charge relating to incidents between October 1, 2019, and November 21, 2019, at an address in Taylor Street, Methil, and elsewhere.
