A FENLAND eBay cheat has received a suspended jail term for swindling thousands of pounds from customers.
George Ward, 33, picked up payments for goods he advertised on the online auction site but then failed to send.
Ward, of Glebe Estate, Tilney All Saints, near King’s Lynn, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday 6 April.
He was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work in the community and to pay �3,350 compensation to two of his victims by Judge Martin Binning.
The case, investigated by officers from Terrington Safer Neighbourhood Team, focused on four failed transactions by Ward between November 2009 and August 2010.
These included advertisements for a �2,000 Chrysler Cruiser, a digital camera for �1,800 and two transmitters. In each case the customer handed over the agreed price by cash or cheque but never received the goods.
Ward then evaded further correspondence and the matters were eventually reported to police.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here