06 January 2024 , 10:57
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A conman who purchased a £56,000 house alongside his girlfriend, after she scooped lottery prize money, sold it behind her back after the pair split up.
Kevin Scott, 46, purchased the property in Hamilton, Lanarkshire alongside his partner Fiona Young , following her lucky win of £20,000 on a scratchcard.
Both of their names were put on the deeds, but she left after the relationship ended. Scott then approached a legal firm with another firm, impersonating Young, and initiated conversations regarding the sale of the terraced property for £45,000, The Daily Record reports.
The deal was secured, and Scott took the proceeds before Young, who had not consented to the sale, rang the police. This led to the scheme being uncovered and it was found that an account associated to Scott's mother held £40,000, whereas £5000 had been gifted to a friend.
The woman pretending to be Young has never been identified and the house was sold seven months later for £80,000 by the new owner. Scott, from Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, was seen at Hamilton Sheriff Court and confessed to having £45,000 by fraud between August and October 2018.
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Depute fiscal Neil Thomson said: "Miss Young won money from a lottery scratchcard and they bought the property for £56,000 which was paid in full and both their names were placed on the deeds. The relationship ended and she moved out of the house leaving him there. The accused then entered a local solicitor's firm at that time with another female who claims to be Fiona Young, but is not.
"He then sells the house for £45,000 and it is quickly resold for £80,000. This went unnoticed until Miss Young realised she must be due money from the house and found it had been sold without her consent. Police are then alerted and the accused is identified. A sum of £40,000 was in his mother's and a further £5,000 was in that belonging to a friend."
Sheriff Ray Small deferred sentencing Scott until next month for reports and continued bail, however he warned: "All options including custody are still open to the court and you do have a record for crimes of dishonesty." The sheriff will also consider whether to impose a non-harassment order on Scott to keep him away from his former partner.