Couple accused of eBay fraud

A COUPLE conned customers out of thousands of pounds in an eight month-long eBay fraud, a court was told.

Louise Gregory and Jason Hart sold tickets to concerts and sporting events as well as mobile phones and computer consoles via the online auction site. But customers never received the goods they had paid for, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Proceeding

Instead, the jury was told, Gregory and Hart spent the money on themselves. The court heard that 28 'innocent victims' were duped out of a total of £23,500. Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, said individual losses ranged from £100 to as much as £5,000. One woman, the jury was told, spent £265 on tickets that never arrived for a cricket test match. A man was duped into spending £348 for fictitious concert tickets and another paid £950 for 10 Xbox 360 consoles. The court heard that victims came from across Britain. Four of the 28 victims ordered goods from France, Israel, Ireland and America. Gregory, 27, of Victoria Street, Farnworth, Bolton, denies a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud. The jury was told it must decide whether Hart, 33, of Moorside Avenue, Farnworth, acted alone or 'in concert' with his then girlfriend Gregory. Mr Bassano told the court: "It will not be disputed that the complainants were defrauded. It is agreed that Jason Hart committed fraud. The question is whether Jason Hart acted alone or in concert with the defendant. That is the principal issue you are here to decide." Mr Bassano said both Hart and Gregory set up eBay accounts in 2005. Hers was called tigerlou81 and his acquacool1975. The court was told that between September 2006 and April 2007 both accounts were used to 'cheat innocent purchasers of their money'. Mr Bassano said: "Goods were listed for sale, contracts concluded and payments made. "However, the goods were never dispatched to the purchasers nor were refunds tendered. The Crown says that these were criminal frauds and not mere civil wrongs and that the defendant and Jason Hart never intended to supply the goods they promised." The court was told the seller's details given in each case were that of Hart. Payment was made to him in all cases. In 11 cases, the jury heard, cheques were made payable to him and paid into his account. In other cases, customers paid money directly into his account. But Mr Bassano added: "In the majority of cases the offending eBay account was that of Louise Gregory. In the majority of cases the specified seller's address to which the victims posted their cheques was to Louise Gregory's home address." The court heard Gregory denied involvement and blamed unemployed Hart after her arrest. She claimed in interview that he used her account name without her knowing. She also told police he bought her a £2,300 car, paid for a holiday for them together, gave her cash and bought household electrical items for her. The court heard she expressed shock and disgust at the allegations. But Mr Bassano said: "The Crown say that such emotions were feigned, that she knew perfectly well what she was doing, that she was more than happy to enjoy the spoils of his criminality and that she was a party to it." The jury was told of a series of mobile phone text messages sent to Hart from Gregory after he was arrested. One said: "Jay ok i admit i fraud ebay but you have to take the rap for me if you love me". Another said: "...I want you to admit it, I have a nurse career to think about, if you love me, you would." Mr Bassano said: "The Crown say that these messages are not the words of an innocent person and in one of the messages she actually confesses her guilt." Louise Gregory was later sentenced to 150 hours of community service