A fraudster who conned his way throughout Britain using 38 bizarre identities has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Arbroath Sheriff Court.
David Brown (56), of Avon Road, Bournemouth, claimed to be a DHL delivery man, a member of a film crew and an electrician as he ran up bills at three hotels then disappeared without paying in Angus in March.
He has committed crimes under a variety of names throughout Britain and has warrants outstanding in four other courts in relation to crimes of dishonesty.
When he initially appeared from custody at Arbroath Sheriff Court on Friday, just two previous convictions were tendered. But when his case recalled at court on Monday, another 52 convictions had been found under Brown’s 38 aliases for frauds the length and breadth of the country.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond explained to visiting Sheriff Fiona Tait that sentence had been deferred on Friday to establish whether Brown had 3600 euros in his possession and could pay a fine.
She said investigations by Reliance officers revealed he had been arrested with just £71.89 on his person.
Brown had admitted that on March 19 at the Star Hotel in Montrose and on March 20 at the Osbourne Guest House in Arbroath he obtained board and lodging valued at £68.95 and £30 respectively without paying the bill, while on bail.
He also admitted that on March 19 at the George Hotel, Montrose, he admitted obtained food and drink valued at £32.85 without paying, while on bail.
Ms Drummond said Brown claimed to be an employee of DHL called Dave Netoyll as he checked into the Star Hotel.
She said: ”He asked for a room for the night and ordered five pints of Fosters and four Jack Daniels and Coke, asking for these to be put on his tab.
”He left the hotel after inquiring about where to go for a meal, later returning and ordering more drinks for his tab before he retired to sleep at around 11.30pm.”
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”At 11.45am the next morning the hotel’s cleaner discovered that Brown had vacated his room and had been sick on the bed. The owner realised that the accused had not paid for his room and contacted police.”
Ms Drummond said that the same night Brown had checked into the George Hotel under the name John Johnston and eaten a meal there asking for it to be charged to his room.
”He claimed he was working in the area with a camera crew filming a show for John Stein, a famous chef,” she said.
The hotel didn’t realise that Brown was no longer at the hotel until three days later and reviewed CCTV footage which showed he didn’t even spend one night there.
Brown travelled to Arbroath and checked in the following night at the Osbourne Guest House as a man named Paul.
”He said he was an electrician renovating a property in Marywell and advised the hotel that three colleagues would be joining him the next day,” said Ms Drummond.
”The following morning the accused had breakfast at 8am and left shortly afterwards. At 11am the bed and breakfast owner discovered that a page of the registration book with his name and address had been ripped out. He then found Brown’s bedroom empty.”
Sheriff Tait told Brown that with his lengthy record now before the court she could see no alternative to a custodial sentence.
She said: ”The position presented at court on Friday was that you had just two previous convictions, the last dating back to 1999. Now the position is very different in that you have a number of previous convictions under a number of different aliases.
”Given that you have served numerous custodial sentences, there is no need to call for reports and no alternative to a period of imprisonment.”
She reduced his sentence from nine months to six months to take account of his early plea.