Pair pretended to be pilot, lawyer and ex-detective in £550k scam

Glasgow Times

2 days ago

Brian Docherty, 49, and Declan Kearney, 33, set up fake firms to apparently hire expensive cars and buy goods which they then kept.
Docherty, of Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to a string of fraud charges amounting to £303,500.
Kearney, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, meantime admitted frauds totalling £247,500.
The charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court span between August 2015 and January 2018.
Sheriff Louise Arrol KC jailed Docherty for 27 months while Kearney received a 21-month sentence.
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The sheriff said: "Mr Docherty described yourself that you were involved in a sophisticated scheme.
"This was a financially motivated scheme and you have made no re-payment.
"Standing the gravity of the offences, you have passed the custodial threshold.
"Mr Kearney, your motivation was a drug habit which you have since overcome.
"The nature of these offences are extremely serious and I am satisfied that you have passed the custodial threshold."
A hearing on the terms of a serious crime prevention order for the pair will take place in August.
The court previously heard that Docherty and Kearney formed a number of companies using stolen details of genuine people.
This included retired detective sergeant Thomas Rodgers, retired solicitor Andrew Biggart and pilot David Sweeney.
Prosecutor Ryan Watson said: "Docherty and Kearney would contact legitimate companies.
"Arrangements would be made for credit facilities and or hire of materials and vehicles.
"False documents would be created in the names of genuine people and provided to these companies."
On the rare occasion a payment was made, it was found be fraudulent and a cheque would bounce.
Docherty was able to secure £100,000 of Audi cars from a fleet management company then another £50,000-worth of the same make insisting they were for a roofing firm.
He also took £120,000 of vehicles from a separate vehicle business claiming to be Mr Biggart, who was supposedly a director of a cleaning firm.
Other swindles included getting £1,500 of security equipment.
Kearney meantime agreed with a firm to hire 18 vehicles again for a roofing company totalling £200,000. A huge £30,000 of fuel was also not paid for.
He further got his hands on his hands on 8,000 slates valued at £2,500.
Explaining how the crimes were uncovered, Mr Watson said: "Mr Rodgers only became aware his identity had been compromised when he received correspondence from finance companies that he had defaulted on payments.
"The police contacted Mr Biggart in 2015 regarding him being a director of a cleaning company which was his first indication that his identity was being used.
"Around this time, he was the legitimate director of 10 companies. He contacted companies house to be removed as the director of the cleaning company.
"Mr Sweeney became aware of his identity being misused when Mercedes sent him a letter in 2016 saying he missed payments for a vehicle."
The hearing was told no repayment has been made.