An online fraudster who admitted a total of 33 offences has been sentenced to 32 months in prison.
James Lawrence Knight, aged 29 and of Fernway Close in Wimborne, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 18 September 2020 after admitting 14 charges of fraud by false representation. He also asked for a further 19 offences to be taken into consideration when he was sentenced.
A number of the charges related to Knight offering items for sale on Gumtree and other online selling sites and securing payment from his victims but never actually providing the items. On other occasions he persuaded his victims to send him goods, but did not provide the money he had promised in exchange.
The offences occurred between October 2019 and March 2020. He defrauded his victims of up to £1,380 for goods that they never received. Items he persuaded his victims to part with included a pocket watch valued at £2,300, an antique microphone worth £1,950 and a Rolex watch valued at £1,800.
Knight sent his victims photos of his passport and other proof of identity documents to persuade them to pay him the money before receiving their items or to part with their goods before they received the funds.
It was through these photos and documents that Knight was identified and following enquiries he was arrested on Wednesday 6 May 2020.
Detective Constable Christian Bryant, of Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Team, said: “James Knight targeted a large number of victims across the country over a period of several months.
“I am pleased that through our investigation we were able to identify Knight and bring him before the court to face the consequences of his offending.”
