Serial Scam Artist Admits Selling Fake Wimbledon Tickets For £1 500

A serial conman dubbed ‘Champagne Charlie' who once ripped off the boss of a charity founded by [/news/prince_harry/index.html Prince Harry] has admitted selling bogus corporate packages for [/sport/wimbledon/index.html Wimbledon].
John Clugston, 73, went to Soho-based independent entertainment company Parkland Pictures offering tickets to the tennis event in 2018 and told employee John Cairns his name was David and he was from The Friendly Society.
Clugston, of Upton Avenue, Brighton, admitted one count of fraud by false representation at Westminster Magistrates' Court. 
Serial fraudster John Clugston, 73, has admitted one count of fraud by false representation
Clugston attempted to sell fraudulent premium tickets to popular tennis event Wimbledon
RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/news/article-3385355/Serial-conman-dubbed-Champagne-Charlie-jailed-15-months-selling-1-000-non-existent-Wimbledon-tickets-Prince-Harry-s-charity-boss.html Serial conman dubbed 'Champagne Charlie' is jailed for 15...] [/sport/football/article-7040461/Southampton-unveil-new-kits-hilarious-parody-Netflix-documentary-Fyre.html Southampton unveil kits for 2019-20 season in hilarious...] [/sport/article-6172077/I-trying-catch-conman-not-fix-matches-Grobbelaar-story-tainted-life.html 'I was trying to catch a conman, not fix matches': Liverpool...] [/sport/sportsnews/article-3163551/Disgraced-cyclist-Lance-Armstrong-returns-ride-Tour-France-stage-controversial-charity-event.html Back in the saddle: Disgraced Lance Armstrong rides a]tour thác bản giốc... </a>



Share this article
Share


Clugston offered a ‘premium' deal for £1,500 including a pair of tickets, food, transport, and a meet-and-greet service to Mr Cairns who accepted the offer and dashed off to a cashpoint to pay Clugston, but never saw the crook again.
Clugston, who appeared in court wearing a black striped suit, admitted fraud by false representation.
Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, said: ‘He went to the premises where the complainant was working.
‘He said he could provide a corporate package.

Tickets would include transport, food and a talk. There were some other benefits.
‘The complainant went off to get some money, but became suspicious, thought there was something wrong.
‘It does appear that money was handed over and that money hasn't been recovered.
He later realised it was a fraud.'
Mr Bryan said Clugston had a ‘serious' record of fraud-related offences.
He said: ‘He has 96 offences and 66 offences for fraud and other related offences.'
The prosecutor referred to Clugston's latest conviction in 2016 when he was jailed for 15 months for tricking Sentebale's chief executive Cathy Ferrier out of £1,000 by selling her Wimbledon tickets he did not have.
Sentebale chief executive Cathy Ferrier (L) was conned for tickets by Clugston in 2015 
Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, South Africa, kynghidongduong.vn to help vulnerable children.
Clugston visited the company's offices in Sloane Square offering four Wimbledon tickets, including full hospitality, and Mrs Ferrier handed him £1,000.
The fraudster claimed he was from fashion retailer Hackett, based in the same building, and said he also had a number of spare tickets.
When he did not return Mrs Ferrier realised she had been conned.
Clugston's offending began almost six decades ago in 1960 when he appeared before the then Marylebone Juvenile Court charged with theft.
For the next 50 years he racked up convictions for offences of dishonesty and jailing him for three years for a champagne scam at the Old Bailey in 2008, Judge Timothy Pontius had said: ‘You are without doubt a thoroughgoing (corr) dishonest rogue and you are plainly an incorrigible rogue.'
Clugston appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday to submit his plea
In 2011 Clugston was given a five year sentence for a bubbly scam he carried out 31 times in five months for a profit of £19,500.
He visited offices around London pretending to have cases of leftover Bollinger and Dom Perignon from parties, and offering to sell it for knock down prices.
After taking cash, the fraudster vanished.
The judge who jailed Clugston in 2011 had dubbed him: ‘Champagne Charlie' and described him as ‘a public menace and a repeat offender.'
At one point in his latest hearing Clugston claimed he had not heard a thing Mr Bryan had said about him.
Asked why he wasn't wearing a hearing aid Clugston replied: ‘Didn't know it was that bad.'
Magistrate Sneha Kooros adjourned the matter for four weeks so a pre-sentencing report can be prepared.
She told Clugston: ‘It appears that you are aware of what is going on so we are going to proceed.

We are putting your case back so we can have a report done on you.
‘It will be all options open including custody or sentencing to the crown court.'
She added: ‘I would strongly, strongly recommend that before you come back to court you get yourself a hearing aid.' 
He was granted unconditional bail ahead of sentence on 24 July