Ex-bowling champ's teenage son locked up for £22,000 fraud

THE teenage son of former World Champion bowler, Richard Corsie, has been sent to detention for eight months for a series of frauds which netted him more than £22,000.

Eighteen-year old Cameron Corsie had pleaded guilty previously at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to fraudulently withdrawing 15,587 from a string of bank accounts.

Between April and July 2008, Corsie pretended he was the account holder of different accounts and took out sums of money ranging between 50 and 7000.

Corsie, who appeared from custody today, had admitted 10 charges relating to the banks.

He had also pleaded guilty previously to fraudulently obtaining goods worth 6289.63 between 9 and 12 April last year from the Sony Centre in Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, where he was employed; and to defrauding four people of a total of 520 by pretending on a website to having tickets for the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight last year.

A Reading business woman, a Miss N Purcell, lost 7000 from a Bank of Scotland account when Corsie withdrew that sum using a forged cheque made payable to him in April, 2008.

Fiscal Depute, Malcolm Stewart, told Sheriff James Scott, that Corsie claimed to have been pressurised into taking part in the bank frauds by another person and they split the money. This person, said the Fiscal: "Had a contact in the Bank of Scotland who supplied forged cheques". Corsie told the police he had spent his share on renting a flat and having a number of parties there.

Another victim was a friend of Corsie, Scott Souter. In Easter 2008, Corsie and Mr Souter met in Princes Street Gardens. Corsie asked for a loan of 200, but Mr Souter refused.

"He thought no more about it" said the Fiscal "Until a short time later he checked his current account at the Royal Bank of Scotland and was appalled to learn that the sum of 7538 and been taken from his savings account and 1049 from his current account".

Investigations at the branch of the bank in Corstorphine provided CCTV footage of Corsie withdrawing money.

Corsie had previously been in detention and placed on Community Service for fraud and the police quickly caught up with him. Corsie told the police that Mr Souter had given him his bank details and that was how he had been able to get the money.

The Fiscal added that one would normally have to prove their identity with a bank card before getting money.

"Corsie went to various branches and told the teller he was Mr Souter" said the Fiscal.

"Because he had the account details, he requested a balance and the teller helpfully provided the balance. He then pretended he had left his wallet on a train or at home and on that basis was allowed to withdraw money".

Mr Stewart said that on one occasion Corsie was asked a security question, but said he could not remember it and the teller helpfully told him Mr Souter's mother's maiden name and he was allowed to

withdraw the money".

Mr Stewart said the banks had reimbursed the victims the missing cash. As for Corsie's share of the money taken from Mr Souter, the Fiscal said he had received 2000 to 3000 and "had again blown it on parties in hotels".

The fraudulent scheme at the Sony Center was uncovered when the manager noticed a number of "odd transactions" and the ticket scam when those who thought they had bought the tickets did not receive them and contacted the police. None of that money was recovered.

Corsie's defence solicitor, Graeme Clark, said there had been "an element of coercion" in the 2008 frauds with threats being made against him and his family, but the offences in 2009 had been carried out by him "without any pressure".

The Social Work reports could not identify any reasons for his committing the offences" said Mr Clark. "He said once he had started down that road he found it very difficult to stop".

Corsie, he added, had no alcohol or drug problems, but there might have been problems with gambling. That, said Mr Clark, could be explored if Corsie was given a non-custodial sentence.

Sheriff Scott told Corsie no sentence other than a custodial one was appropriate given the gravity of the offences and his record of offending, including analagous convictions. He ordered him to be detained for a total of eight months.