Gambler behind £1m fraud is sent to High Court

A GAMBLING addict who claimed he engineered a £1 million fraud to pay off loan sharks after they shot his father in the head has been referred to the High Court for sentencing.

Tony Demarco, 64, survived after being blasted at point blank range outside the Gala Maybury Casino in Edinburgh in June 2008.

Yesterday he sat in court as son Antony Demarco, 38, was due to be sentenced for the scam. But Sheriff James Scott told Demarco Jnr his sentencing powers were "inadequate" and remitted the case to the High Court.

The scam, launched only weeks after the hit on sandwich shop owner Mr Demarco, was a desperate bid by Demarco Jnr to settle his massive online poker debts, Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told.

At the time of the attack on his father, Demarco was a self-employed asset finance broker.

He formed the fraudulent scheme by applying for loans secured against assets that did not exist and submitted false applications for credit loans.

The court was told examination of his bank accounts showed losses with Ladbrokes of more than 1m in the year prior to the police investigation.

First offender Demarco, of Danderhall, Midlothian, admitted making a total of 23 false loans and defrauding Lombard Finance and Hitachi Capital Finance out of 1m.

Defence solicitor advocate John Scott said that when Demarco realised his position he thought he had no choice but to carry out the fraud and did not consider going to the police as an option.