A fraudster has been handed a 10-month prison sentence and ordered to repay a couple he tried fleece out of £425 after posing as a letting agent to commit the crime.

Michael Tutt, 40, used a pseudonym and designed a website under the guise of a legitimate estate agency to scam £425 from an unsuspecting couple.

The pair were looking to rent a property in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, in May 2022, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Keely Harvey told the court how the pair contacted the private landlord who advertised the property and spoke with estate agent ‘Mark Matheson’ – who was in fact the defendant.

He requested a £425 holding fee which was transferred to him, before a date was set to meet and sign the tenancy.

However, the defendant failed to meet with the couple  at the arranged meeting place in Costa Coffee, and ignored their countless phone calls.

Harvey said the couple became “increasingly concerned” and began carrying out their own research into the defendant, discovering he was not a real letting agent.

She commented: “The victim and his sister decided to go to the property itself and it was not empty.

“The occupants confirmed the lease was not up to be renewed.

“The victim then reported the incident to his bank and the police.”

Mitigating, Paul Patterson said Tutt had demonstrated a high level of remorse for his actions after being arrested.

He remarked: “The family wanted to move away from the area but neither Tutt nor his partner were working, which is when he offended.

“This is someone who is trying to rehabilitate himself and he is actively pursuing getting back into employment.”

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland, said: “You were trying to get money from a couple with a scam you have done before.

“But it clearly doesn’t work as you end up in prison.

“There is no prospect of rehabilitation in this case. This is so serious it can only be met with an immediate sentence.”