Fraudster who changed his name five times is jailed

A fraudster from Wolverhampton who changed his name by deed poll five times in two years to mask his life of crime was today behind bars.

Graduate Scott Thompson, aged 32, used the different names to take out credit cards and £28,000 worth of loans, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Jailing him for 21 months,

Judge Michael Dudley told him: "These were clearly professional frauds with some planning. To change your name five times in such a short time indicates you had fraud in mind for a long time."

Thompson, of Kitchen Lane in Ashmore Park, Wednesfield, achieved nine GCSEs, three A-levels and a degree in geography at the University of Bristol before turning to crime, the court heard yesterday.

Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, said the fraud came to light after Thompson sent a form bearing two false names to the electoral registration office informing staff of a new address.

A search of the electoral database revealed that Thompson was living in Kitchen Lane.

Further inquiries showed that he had used different names to obtain loans and credit cards.

As well as a £13,000 loan from the Bank of Scotland, he blew £11,146 on a Visa card in the name of Scott Freeman.

When questioned, Thompson admitted to police that he was in debt and had funded his lifestyle using money he had gained unlawfully.

"He has absolutely no assets whatsoever," Mr Rees said.

Mr David Bratt, defending, said Thompson's dreams of a "shining" career had been ruined by his criminality and added that he was now "drowning in a sea of debt".

Thompson admitted four charges of fraud and also breaching a 20-week suspended prison sentence previously imposed for stealing from an employer.

Judge Dudley told him: "You are obviously a man of some talent but unfortunately you have misused it.

"You are going to find it hard to get any decent job in the future because of your convictions."

Thompson committed the crimes between June 2007 and March 2009.