'Film director' rips off companies for luxurious furniture (From Warrington Guardian)

'Film director' rips off companies for luxurious furniture

10:27am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News

A CONMAN fraudulently rented luxurious furniture like games machines and a pool table by claiming he was directing a two year film project.

Martin Blake, aged 49, of Sedgewick Court in the town centre, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, Thursday.

Blake contacted a number of companies claiming he needed the furniture for his film.

He set up trade accounts and bought a bar stool, shelf buffet and open shelf unit costing more than £600.

The defendant then rented a pool table, two games machines and a grandfather clock costing more than £2000.

He rented a four bedroom house worth £800,000 in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, between October 2011 and May 2012, where the furniture was kept.

It was paid for using cheques from an empty bank account, before he sold the pool table and grandfather clock.

Blake was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 20 months, and to 150 hours unpaid work.

DC Neil Tate from the Volume Fraud Team at Greater Manchester Police, said: “These companies sold and rented the items to Blake, believing they would be paid and when they tried to cash in the cheques, they bounced leaving them out of pocket.

“He then sold the items to line his own pocket but thankfully he was caught before he could defraud anyone else.

“However, the pool table has never been recovered and the company who rented it to him in good faith have paid the price for his crimes.”