Jail for 'made-up family' conman

Shields' behaviour had been 'calculating' said Sheriff Neil MacKinnon

A fraudster who conned an Edinburgh co-worker out of £30,000 after telling her he wanted to leave his wife to be with her has been jailed for 15 months.

Alexander Shields told Lynn McFarlane, whom he met while working for Scottish Water in Buckstone, his wife was trying to take his daughter from the UK.

But Shields, 26, did not have a wife or child and used the money for gambling.

Shields admitted forming a fraudulent scheme to obtain £30,000 between 15 January and 31 March last year.

Sheriff Neil MacKinnon told Shields at Edinburgh Sheriff Court: "Your behaviour in this matter was not only dishonest it was calculating and callous, taking advantage of the trust given to you by the complainer."

At an earlier hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court fiscal deputy Ruth Ross-Davie said Shields also told Ms McFarlane he owed money to loan sharks who were threatening him and also sending text messages to him, which contained threats against her.

He understood the money given to him was a loan and he always intended to pay it back Peter O'Neill Defence agent

The court heard whenever Ms McFarlane expressed any doubt he would reassure her that he wanted to be with her as soon as his matrimonial problems were resolved.

Eventually Ms McFarlane went to police and by this time Shields, from Bathgate, was no longer working at Scottish Water.

The court also heard Shields never had a romantic relationship with Ms McFarlane.

Ms Ross-Davie said Ms McFarlane was naive and inexperienced with relationships and she had taken out loans as well as being left with an overdraft of £6,000.

Defence agent Peter O'Neill said: "This offence was rooted in his gambling addiction.

"He understood the money given to him was a loan and he always intended to pay it back."

Mr O'Neill urged the sheriff to put Shields on probation so he could get a job and pay Ms McFarlane back.

But Sheriff MacKinnon said a custodial sentence was the only option.