Betrüger Gaben Sich Als Top-Springspringer Aus, Um £ 200.000 Von Opfern Zu Betrügen

Ein „betrügerischer und bösartiger“Betrüger, der als internationaler Springreiter ausgegeben, um seine Opfer zu betrügen, wurde inhaftiert.

James Condliffe, 34, aus Shropshire (Bild unten), betrog Investoren – einschließlich seiner eigenen Freundin – um 280.000 Pfund, indem er vorgab, ein professioneller Fahrer und Händler zu sein.

Condliffe überzeugte die Leute, große Geldbeträge für ihn zu investieren, um Pferde zu kaufen, die er trainieren und an Wettkämpfen teilnehmen konnte. Aber diese Investoren wussten nicht, dass der Betrüger die Pferde für viel weniger Geld als den von ihm angegebenen Preis gekauft hatte und steckte den Unterschied ein.

Er täuschte seine Opfer auch weiter, indem er vorgab, ein großes Grundstück in Charing, Kent, zu besitzen, zu dem er seine potenziellen Investoren einlud.

Nach der Verurteilung sagte Detective Constable Mark Agnew von der Abteilung für schwere Wirtschaftskriminalität, Condliffe habe „seinen Lebensstil durch Betrug finanziert“.

„Er prahlte vor den Investoren, dass er ein guter Reiter sei, sogar angedeutet, dass er zu den Olympischen Spielen in Brasilien gehen würde “, sagte DC Agnew.

"Er hatte kein legitimes Einkommen, sein einziges Einkommen war das Geld, das er seinen Opfern betrogen hat."

one of his victims was an 85-year-old man, who agreed to rent his stables in ashford to condliffe.

the crook convinced him to “invest” £50, 000 in a horse - when in fact condliffe only paid £35, 000. he also persuaded him to write various blank cheques and take out a £25, 000 bank loan. in total he was defrauded of over £100, 000.

another of his victims was tricked into putting up £20, 000 for a non-existent horse, while a further victim - who was his girlfriend at the time - was pressured into paying £35, 000 for a horse that had actually been bought for £16, 000.

when the victims asked for their cash to be returned, condliffe told them he was waiting for money to come from his parents’ estate as they had died - which was a lie.

the victims started to get suspicious and reported him to kent police.

officers from the kent and essex serious crime directorate arrested the 34-year-old in may 2014.

he was charged with 21 offences of fraud by false representation and one of using a false instrument between july 2012 and july 2014, which he admitted.

on 23 march this year, he was jailed for four years and three months at maidstone crown court. this will run consecutively once he has served four years and nine months for a fraud committed in hampshire.

the judge has also made him the subject of a five-year serious crime prevention order, which will start on his release from prison. this bans him from engaging in any business related to the horse industry, financial advice and investment opportunities.

“condliffe’s offending was deceptive and malicious,” added dc agnew. “by targeting victims in this way, he has shown he is a danger to the public and i welcome the sentence he has received.”