A man who advertised a bogus property management firm and then stole rent has been jailed.

Scott Walker, 36, advertised ‘S Walker Property Management’ on Facebook.

A couple who responded owned a property in Redcar bringing in £550 a month in rent, but lost £6,100 after Walker stole every penny.

He had told the landlords that the tenants were in arrears.

The court heard that Walker, who pleaded guilty, had seven convictions and a history of deception.

Speaking for Walker, Andrew McGloin said he had offered to repay the money at £100 a month out of his benefits.

But Judge Stephen Ashurst said the landlords would have a better chance of recovering the stolen money if they applied to the county court.

He said he could impose a sentence of immediate custody because of Walker’s history and jailed him for ten months.

At an earlier case, heard in September after Walker tricked almost £4,000 out of three victims, he was described as a letting agent who had become jobless. He was ordered to repay about half the money out of his benefits.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/crooked-property-boss-swindled-thousands-13987958