She declined, but when he asked if she could advertise the holidays on her own Facebook account she accepted.” “In April 2016 he contacted her about a number of holidays he had and asked her if she would be interested in them. They had been friends since 2012 and throughout that friendship the complainant had been aware that the defendant had worked in the travel industry. “Alison Farrier, who made up count one, presented the typical case for all counts. “All the offences follow a similar pattern, relating to how the holidays were branded, sold and how the real intentions of the defendant were disguised. Many of the complainants in this case were his friends, the rest of which were friends of friends and acquaintances. ![]() In mitigation, Pollard’s lawyer, David Morton, said simply: “He is appalled by the way he has acted.”Īdam Hodge, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was involved in this fraudulent activity for over a year. “I have no doubt you are an intelligent man, and you used your intelligence to plant these stories.” Pollard ‘appalled’ by his actions In your interview, unsurprisingly, you blamed others for your actions. “A lot of their hard-earned money has ended up in your pocket. “There has been considerable financial hardship in many households as a result of your actions. You twisted and turned at every stage, making up more lies to cover your tracks. The judge Mr Recorder Ciaran Rankin told him: “You are nothing more than a conman, a thoroughly dishonest man. He spent the cash on his weekly food shopping and exotic holidays for himself. Inquiries revealed Pollard had a number of accounts listed in his name that his customers would continue to pay into. The whole time he did this consciously and cold-heartedly.”Ī third who lost out said: “It had taken me years to save up the money for my holiday and would take a long time to replace.” The documents he sent over were extremely convincing and made me feel gullible. One victim who spent £4,000 on two holidays with Pollard told police: “The defendant was persuasive and knowledgeable. One man spent £3,125 on a trip for his wife and two children to go to South Africa for his 50th birthday only to find no holiday had been booked, with other holidaymakers spending up to £4,800 a time on non-existent package vacations for family weddings. Then just before departure day, Pollard would play the ‘blame game’ and say a third party had cancelled their trip. ![]() The commercial director at the Manchester-based online travel agency deployed a tactic of false promises and prevarication, making up lie after lie to distract his clients.Īfter selling his victims bogus holidays, he would send on ‘convincing’ confirmation letters and promised that more details would follow closer to the big day. ![]() More: Johnny Pollard fraud trial postponedĬourt sentences Johnny Pollard for fraud ![]() Pollard was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was originally charged with 22 counts but the remaining 14 charges were shelved due to some the complainants living abroad, moving away or refusing to assist the prosecution. Johnny Pollard (50) used his status as a travel expert to filch £32,125 from 22 victims for non-existent trips to countries such as Australia, Dubai, Mexico and South Africa between 20.Īt Minshull Street Crown Court, Pollard from Prestwich, Manchester, was given a 20-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted eight counts of fraud place between June 2017 and August 2017. A host of other fabulous amenities at Club Hotel LIVVO Drago Park include 2 kids’ clubs, multi-purpose sports court, boutique, state-of-the-art gym, playground and plenty of live evening entertainment.Ĭlub Hotel LIVVO Drago Park is a stone’s throw away from a glorious sandy beach.įuerteventura Airport is approximately 77km away from the hotel.A former director of On The Beach was unmasked on Thursday as a “cold-hearted” conman who swindled friends and family in a hoax dream holiday scam to fund his own jet-set lifestyle. Heavenly nights await in your stylish room which features a plethora of facilities and you’ll savour flavoursome local and international cuisine in the hotel’s excellent buffet restaurant. There’s a glorious sandy beach a short stroll away for soaking up the sun and enjoying a refreshing dip, while the hotel has a choice of inviting palm tree-lined swimming pools for a splashing time at this family-friendly hideaway. There’s never a dull moment at Club Hotel LIVVO Drago Park, a fantastic all-inclusive escape in a beautiful part of the wonderful resort of Costa Calma in sun-kissed Fuerteventura.
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