41 year-old, Ian George Ward scammed bookmakers in the Teesside area by giving in false winning bets.

The gambling addict conned Gala Coral to the tune of £6,685, and he was able to get away with the scam as staff failed to check his betting slips.

The fraud took place in September and October last year and he was only eventually caught after he had repeated the scam several times.  He appeared in Teesside Crown Court this week, where the court heard that Mr Ward could have raked in more than £12,000 with the scam.

Ward bet on football matches at Gala Coral branches.  If he happened to lose the bet he would discard his original copy and cheekily write and attach a new bogus winning bet.  Prosecutor, Michael Bosomworth said, “The method that he used was staggeringly simple. 

“If the bet was not properly checked when presented, he would be paid out.”

The reasons staff gave for not checking their copy of his real bet was “either from pressure of time or because they recognised him as a regular punter.”

The 41 year-old, accumulated £2,600 from betting in Hemlington, £1,710 in Middlesbrough, £1,420 in Stockton and £1,050 in Thornaby.

He came unstuck when he tried the scam in Coulby Newham.  The manager caught him out and contacted other branches to warn them of the scam.  “Regrettably that warning was not heeded,” Mr Bosomworth told the court.

Ward continued with the scam and was reported to the police after failed attempts to get the bookmakers in Ingleby Barwick and Linthorpe Road to pay him out cash for false winning bets. 

The gambling addict admitted to police he had carried out fraud by false representation and told them that the money he got illegally he spent on gambling more money.

This wasn’t the first time Ward was caught for deception.  He had previous deception convictions including most notably a 30-month prison sentence for using credit card slips from garage bins to pay for his gambling habit.

Ward’s defence lawyer, Richard Herrman said his client’s fiddle was “painfully unsophisticated.

“He simply thought he would chance it.  He couldn’t believe he’d got away with it and tried it again numerous times in a short space of time.”

Ward showed remorse and apologised for his actions claiming he did it to finance his gambling addiction.

The judge told Ward, “It surprises me the offending took so long to be detected.  If you were to go to prison now, that would probably be the end of the help that you’re receiving.”

The judge’s verdict was to give Ward a 40 week prison sentence suspended for two years with supervision, 150 hours unpaid work and a £200 fine.

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