A MAN who opened 37 bank accounts under different names deprived financial institutions of more than £64,000, a court heard.
Damien Martin James, who has more than 23 aliases, fell back on mortgage repayments and racked up several overdrafts. James used different passports to take out a £250,000 mortgage and open accounts with Lloyds TSB, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland.
After pleading guilty to 10 counts of fraud and two assaults, he was locked up for four years and two months. Overdrafts ranged from £246 to £3,944, prosecutor Stuart Ellacott told the court. James, 45, also kicked the owner of Cuccinis restaurant, in Old Christchurch Road, and he punched the landlord of a hotel – both instances of violence followed being asked to leave the premises.
In mitigation, Robert Grey said James, from Somerset, had turned to drink after his wife’s premature death three years ago.
Judge John Harrow said: “You are a thoroughly dishonest man. You gave false details to the Chelsea Building Society to gain £211,000, fell into arrears and the property had to be sold and there was a loss to them of £60,000.”
