Man fined after fraudulently applying for £17,000 in loans

A man who tried to fraudulently apply for more than £17,000 in loans has told a court he was trying to make ends meet - but spent a £5,000 lottery win on a television and laptop Computers.

Daniel Matthew Weir of Murrays Road in Douglas appeared before Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks at Douglas Courthouse.

At an earlier hearing, the 43 year old admitted six counts of fraud and one of making articles for use in fraud between December 2019 and March last year.

The court heard Weir used four different names to apply for £17,500 in loans from the same company – altering a driving licence and other documents to support his applications.

He claimed he’d forgotten about paying off a £1,500 loan he’d successfully applied for and the court heard he’d won £5,000 from an online lottery site and received a £1,000 grant from the Manx Solidarity Fund.

His advocate told the court Weir had been in financial difficulties but Mr Brooks said he’d acted out of greed.

He handed Weir a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years, as well as fining him £750 and ordering him to pay costs of £50.