NAVY STEAL Sailor used his forces ID badge

NAVY STEAL Sailor used his forces ID badge

TO CON FOOTIE FANS OUT OF £7K IN PREMIER LEAGUE TICKET SCAM

A court heard he would send messages through Facebook and Twitter to fans looking for Premier League tickets.

Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Hants, heard Bayne, 28, a Leading Hand in the Royal Navy, conned nearly 50 victims from around the world, including in Israel, Poland and Singapore.

One victim, Danielle Colley said she had been trying to buy tickets for a Manchester United game to make her boyfriend's 'lifelong dream' of visiting Old Trafford come true.

But when she discovered a post on Facebook warning the sailor was a conman, she said she 'burst into tears' having already sent him £141.

A court heard he would send messages through Facebook and Twitter to fans looking for Premier League tickets.

Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Hants, heard Bayne, 28, a Leading Hand in the Royal Navy, conned nearly 50 victims from around the world, including in Israel, Poland and Singapore.

One victim, Danielle Colley said she had been trying to buy tickets for a Manchester United game to make her boyfriend's 'lifelong dream' of visiting Old Trafford come true.

But when she discovered a post on Facebook warning the sailor was a conman, she said she 'burst into tears' having already sent him £141.

She said: "My heart sank, I thought I was going to be sick.

"I read through the numerous messages saying they had been scammed by John Bayne and I burst into tears."

She added: "The wounds of the day cut deeper and deeper knowing I lost that money.

"He is a disgusting excuse of a man, dragging the navy's proud name through the dirt."

Another victim, Holly Romero, 18, lost £90 when she was led to believe she was getting a ticket for a game between Chelsea and Arsenal.

In a statement, read to the court, she said: "He deliberately targeted me and this was all part of his clever and devious plan.

"He said to me 'look, I'm not scamming you, I'm in the forces for God's sake'."

The court heard Bayne had served in the Royal Navy for ten years and was even named sailor of the year once while on the frigate HMS St Albans.

Bayne, of Portsmouth, Hants, admitted six counts of fraud between July and November this year and had 41 other frauds taken into consideration by the court.

Mitigating, Angela Parkins said Bayne was a 'broken man' but intended to pay back all the money to his victims.

She added that he was getting help for gambling and alcohol addictions.

District judge Anne Arnold said Bayne had 'brought the navy into disrepute' as she sentenced him to one year in prison.

source-CNN