Con man escapes prison (From Stroud News and Journal)

Con man escapes prison

TRICKSTER Craig Imrie - who described his 235 victims as 'suckers' after he conned them into sponsoring him for a charity Half Marathon - has escaped custody.

On Monday magistrates decided to send him to a rehabilitation centre to get treatment for the addiction which drove him to commit his callous crimes.

The court at Stroud was told that the Phoenix centre in South East London will keep him under supervision around the clock for the first few months he is there.

He will then only be allowed to go out by himself when he is 'clean' of drugs.

The magistrates sentenced him to a 24 month community rehabilitation order coupled with 12 months residence at the Phoenix Centre.

The court had heard that Imrie enlisted sponsors to back him to run the annual half marathon in Stroud in aid of the local hospital League of Friends.

But the 18-year-old had no intention of running the 13.1 mile race.

He turned up at the start, just so that suspicious police would see him there, and then slipped away soon after.

Imrie, of Matthews Way, Paganhill, admitted 12 charges of obtaining money by deception from sponsors and asked for 235 similar offences to be considered.

The court chairman, Mr Mark Johnson, told Imrie "You should be in no doubt of the serious nature of your offences. You abused the goodwill of people who were willing to give to charity.

"It was a mean offence. This would normally be serious enough to elicit a custodial offence.

"It is very difficult to get these places at the drugs rehabilitation centre and you should realise how lucky you are.

"You should get yourself off drugs and return to living a useful life".