Con-artist jailed for swindling pub customers

Published on Wednesday 9 January 2008 16:10

A SERIAL con-artist who tricked thousands of pounds out of customers in a village pub through bogus holidays was today jailed for two and half years.

Pub manager Mary Brown, 46, befriended the patrons at the Anchor Inn in South Queensferry and promised them cheap trips abroad through her 'contacts' in the travel world.

While a few trips did go ahead, Brown pocketed more than 6000 from several customers for holidays she never booked.

She also managed to secure loans totalling 7000 from two people at the pub with false stories about her mother and daughter.

Her scam only came to light when her victims read about her after she was jailed for a similar fraud posing as a travel agent in Airdrie.

Brown, of Restalrig Drive, Edinburgh, carried out the fraud on the Anchor Inn customers while she was waiting to be sentenced for the other scam.

She was sentenced to 30 months at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for defrauding 13,150 from the Anchor Inn customers.

Brown used the money to help pay off gambling debts, the court heard.

Gerald McGennity, who paid 3500 for a luxury cruise and gave Brown a further 3000 in a loan, was in court to see her jailed.

He said: "She was somebody I considered her a friend and finding out what she had done was a horror.

"I am very happy with the result here, I would have liked to see her in jail for even longer though."

Sheriff Mhairi Stephen said: "This is taking advantage of people, their good nature and their generosity.

"These were people you befriended and people who thought you were acting in their interests."

In all, five customers and one member of staff had paid over 6150 to Brown for four holidays. But in reality, the manageress hadn't booked any of them.

At the same time, she had approached two customers, 59-year-old Sheena McMorrine and Gerlad McGennity, 61, for additional loans.

She told Ms McMorrine that her mother needed an emergency operation and received 4000 from her on June 2.

Mr McGennity also gave her 3000 around the same time for her daughter after Brown claimed she had lost her handbag the day before she was due to travel to Orlando on holiday.

Brown kept the scam going until she was jailed in June 2006 for another holiday fraud carried out in Airdrie.

She had posed as a travel agent after being sacked as a call centre manager with Teletech UK and conned dozens of families out of nearly 30,000 in 2001.

She had carried out the South Queensferry fraud while on bail.

Brown served just four months of her 17-month sentence for the Airdrie fraud.

During this time, the South Queensferry victims came forward and she was charged with a further fraud while in prison.

Brown admitted three counts of fraud amounting 13,150 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today. All three charges had bail aggravations.

Urfan Dar, acting for Brown, said his client had been suffering from personal problems at the time and turned to gambling to straighten out her financial troubles.