A fraudster who pocketed nearly £50,000 by setting up a fake business in Moray has been jailed for two years after sparking a two-year search for him across Europe.
Neale Rothera was eventually arrested in Latvia in summer 2017 after police had been searching for him since November 2015 – originally believing he had been working in Spain.
Justice finally caught up with the 45-year-old at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday after it also emerged he had dodged punishments for a scam run at the Silver Sands Holiday Park in Lossiemouth by selling caravans that did not belong to him.
Sheriff Gary Aitken revealed Rothera, who lives in Leicestershire, had never completed the 300 hours of unpaid work he was ordered to do in April 2012 or paid the fine that was imposed in their place.
He said: “Given the fact you were already on a high-tariff community payback order when you committed this offence and the nature of it there is no alternative but a custodial sentence.”
Fiscal Alison Young explained Rothera duped Yorkshire-based Skipton Business Finance to believe he was running a business from Tomintoul.
The fraudster, who used the fake name of James Gardner, met a representative from the firm at Inverness Airport and showed him the premises where he claimed to be running a furniture firm called Sutherlands Giftware Ltd.
Paperwork was signed while Mark Millhouse from the finance company prepared to board a return flight home.
Rothera then drew up fake invoices for transactions he claimed his company had carried out – inducing Skipton Business Finance to pay him £48,530 between June 20, 2013 and December 31, 2013.
The scam was only detected when one of the companies listed on the bogus paperwork raised concerns.
Mrs Young said: “A man contacted Skipton Business Finance to say he had never heard of Sutherlands Giftware Ltd or had dealings with them.
“The company phoned James Gardner who said the man must be mistaken and said he would rectify this.
“The Skipton employee then became concerned they had been defrauded and the invoices were false.”
Staff later identified the person they had been dealing with as Rothera after finding a picture of him online.
Defence solicitor Matthew O’Neill explained his client had been working in Eastern Europe when he was arrested.
He said: “His partner, who he has a child with, is from Ukraine. They are not entitled to claim benefits and are considering their options given the current political situation.”
Rothera was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to a single charge of fraud.
