Fraudster jailed after being found guilty of Gumtree ticket con

John Cardno, 28, from Edinburgh, was told by Judge John Bevan QC that he was close to being “a professional fraudsman”.

He was sentenced for one count of fraud by false representation, after falsely claiming on the website Gumtree that he had four tickets to the V Festival.

Victim Anthony Wadsworth-Hill was conned into paying £720 for the non-existent tickets in July 2010.

Cardno has a string of previous convictions, the most recent being a £26,000 fraud in 2008 for which he received a 15-month jail sentence.

Judge Bevan said: “This case in my judgment falls outside of the (sentencing) guidelines, they are for somebody of good character. Your character runs to several pages.”

The fraudster had entered a not guilty plea at the Old Bailey on Monday, but changed his plea later that day.

He was ordered to pay £450 to his victim as compensation. Cardno will serve half the eight-month term in prison.

The court heard that Cardno used the name Alesha Dixon while on Gumtree, but Mr Wadsworth-Hill was then told that “her husband” would meet him.

When the pair met, Cardno produced a fake email which appeared to confirm that he had bought the tickets.

However he then fled, leaving the victim empty-handed.