Former On the Beach Commercial Director Johnny Pollard has been given a 20-month jail sentence suspended for two years after he admitted being a fraudster.
The 50-year-old was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Manchester Minshall Street Crown Court heard he had committed eight counts of fraud between June and August 2017.
Pollard, described in court as a ‘nothing more than a conman’ was originally charged with 22 counts of fraud but 14 of the charges were dropped.
Prosecutors said he had stolen more than £32,000 from 22 victims for non-existent trips to places such as Australia, Dubai, Mexico and South Africa. Many of the victims were friends of his, or friends of friends.
After selling the holidays, and requesting the victims make payments into one of three personal accounts, he would claim they had been cancelled by a third party. Instead, Pollard had spent the money on his weekly food shop and exotic holidays for himself.
The judge Mr Recorder Ciaran Rankin told Pollard, who had also previously held the role of Commercial Manager at Bookable Holidays and had been an ABTA committee member: “You are nothing more than a conman, a thoroughly dishonest man.
“You were selling false promises. You twisted and turned at every stage, making up more lies to cover your tracks.
“There has been considerable financial hardship in many households as a result of your actions.
“A lot of their hard-earned money has ended up in your pocket. In your interview, unsurprisingly, you blamed others for your actions.
“I have no doubt you are an intelligent man, and you used your intelligence to plant these stories.”
Pollard’s lawyer, David Morton, told the court: “He is appalled by the way he has acted.”
In 2011, Pollard was given a suspended 12-week sentence at Newbury Magistrates Court after he admitted defrauding a previous employer out of £5,000.
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The 50-year-old was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Manchester Minshall Street Crown Court heard he had committed eight counts of fraud between June and August 2017.
Pollard, described in court as a ‘nothing more than a conman’ was originally charged with 22 counts of fraud but 14 of the charges were dropped.
Prosecutors said he had stolen more than £32,000 from 22 victims for non-existent trips to places such as Australia, Dubai, Mexico and South Africa. Many of the victims were friends of his, or friends of friends.
After selling the holidays, and requesting the victims make payments into one of three personal accounts, he would claim they had been cancelled by a third party. Instead, Pollard had spent the money on his weekly food shop and exotic holidays for himself.
The judge Mr Recorder Ciaran Rankin told Pollard, who had also previously held the role of Commercial Manager at Bookable Holidays and had been an ABTA committee member: “You are nothing more than a conman, a thoroughly dishonest man.
“You were selling false promises. You twisted and turned at every stage, making up more lies to cover your tracks.
“There has been considerable financial hardship in many households as a result of your actions.
“A lot of their hard-earned money has ended up in your pocket. In your interview, unsurprisingly, you blamed others for your actions.
“I have no doubt you are an intelligent man, and you used your intelligence to plant these stories.”
Pollard’s lawyer, David Morton, told the court: “He is appalled by the way he has acted.”
In 2011, Pollard was given a suspended 12-week sentence at Newbury Magistrates Court after he admitted defrauding a previous employer out of £5,000.
The post Ex-On the Beach Director Johnny Pollard spared jail a second time appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
