A SELF-STYLED lord was responsible for the 'Dorset edition of Catch Me If You Can', a court has heard.

James Maycock, of Goldfinch Road in Poole, told a girlfriend he was a professional pilot. In reality, he had taken a number of lessons at Bournemouth Flying Club, but failed to pay the £2,499.88 he owed.

He told others he had a personal wealth of around £1 million due to an inheritance left to him, and even sometimes referred to himself as 'Lord James Whitcombe' when ordering goods.

Mary Aspinall-Miles, prosecuting a sentencing hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, called the defendant a "fantasist."

The defendant obtained goods and services with "absolutely no intention to pay", it was heard.

"He is living a lifestyle - or trying to live a lifestyle - which was effectively funded by deception and fraud," Ms Aspinall-Miles said.

"It is a bit like the film Catch Me If You Can - the Dorset edition.

"He pretended to be a pilot to his then-girlfriend."

The 31-year-old admitted three counts of obtaining services by deception and two of fraud by false representation.

On one occasion, he failed to pay a vet for treating his ex-girlfriend's dog. The bill was £2,880.60. He also had a horse examined by a vet but once again didn't pay the £356 he owed.

He told one girlfriend that he was going to buy a farm, even leasing a tractor which she discovered outside their home.

She later found he had established a business in her name and had ordered tools and a drone worth hundreds of pounds on the company's account.

Maycock was initially charged with 14 counts of fraud, one of theft and four of obtaining services by deception, but the remaining charges were ordered to lie on file.

He has a previous conviction for a similar offence, during which he ordered a motorcycle, helmet and leathers but gave sellers a cheque "of the bouncing variety", Ms Aspinall-Miles said.

Robert Grey, mitigating, said the defendant claims he has saved £2,000 for compensation and is undergoing counselling, although acknowledged: "There is no evidence [of that]."

Judge Nicholas Haggan QC said: "To be frank, it's hard to believe a word he says."

Maycock failed to tell his employers at the South Western Ambulance Service of his recent convictions, it was heard.

Sentencing the defendant to six months in prison suspended for two years, as well as 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work, Judge Haggan said: "You purported to be somebody you were not.

"A number of people were deceived by your dishonesty. People trusted you.

"You abused that trust."

Although the defendant is described as a fantasist by counsel, "that is not entirely accurate", the judge said.

"You knew very well what you were doing," he added.

"You simply posed as somebody you were not and led others to believe you were a man of substance, whereas the contrary was the case."