A FAIFLEY man who pretended to be his former partner so he could get loans to feed his “substantial” gambling addiction has been ordered to do unpaid work as a punishment.

Paul Davidson obtained the cash over six months in 2016 and early 2017 from three separate finance companies.

The 31-year-old was paid a total of £1,400 by Satsuma Loans, Instant Cash Loans and Safety Net UK after using his ex’s name to induce the firms to pay sums into an account which was in her name, but which he was operating.

Davidson, of Orbiston Place, admitted a charge of obtaining money by fraud last year, but had his sentence deferred in December to allow time for the money to be repaid.

That hearing in December was told that Davidson was in the grip of a substantial gambling addiction at the time of the offences, but his situation had been addressed, and that his former partner was not out of pocket as a result of his criminal behaviour.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday his solicitor, Judith Reid, handed Sheriff William Gallacher a bank statement to show the cash had been paid back in full.

Ms Reid said: “Because of the passage of time, things have moved on considerably.

“The couple’s relationship is no longer, but things are amicable.”

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Davidson originally faced a more serious charge of obtaining £6,748 from eight separate finance companies, but his plea of guilty to obtaining the smaller sum from three firms was accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Gallacher told Davidson: “We’ve got back to where we started from, but that doesn’t mean you escape punishmentfor something which was unacceptable, inappropriate and created real mayhem for a variety of people.”

Davidson was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within six months as an alternative to a financial penalty.