TOP hotels across Cumbria were targeted by an audacious fraud gang whose members repeatedly used stolen credit cards to cream off illegal profits of almost £14,000.
Over the course of three days, the criminals involved toured hotels in north, west and south Cumbria, systematically scamming each one out of hundreds of pounds as they used a series of stolen bank cards.
At Carlisle Crown Court yesterday, the leader of the group was given a 20 month jail term for her role in the scam.
Sonia Malhi, 39, whose criminal record already included 42 previous frauds and 36 thefts, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of crime. She admitted two counts of conspiring to commit fraud as well as shoplifting, possessing cocaine, and possessing a knuckle-duster.
The court heard that the defendant had learned how to carry out the scam during a previous spate of offending in Cheshire, where she had the role of the "distracter", drawing away the attention of staff as a fellow criminal committed the fraud.
Tim Evans, prosecuting, said Malhi had played the leading role as the gang operated across Cumbria between January 23 and 26 last year.
The barrister outlined the gang's visits to a several hotels, which included the Lodore Falls Hotel in Keswick, The Glaramara Hotel in Keswick, The Bank Tavern Inn in Keswick, Stonecross Manor in Kendal, and Parklands Hotel in Penrith.
Mr Evans said the gang repeatedly deployed the same techniques as they visited each hotel, using stolen bank cards and asking for refunds after complaining about the rooms they had just booked.
At the Lodore Falls Hotel, the group asked for three rooms for three nights but as this was being done a worker there suspected that something "was not right", said Mr Evans. The total cost of the transaction was £2,500.
The same worker whose suspicions had been aroused by the gang later visited the Mary Mount Hotel, also in Keswick, and saw the same group of people, including the defendant.
"The manager said that because the value was so high it would have to be approved by the accountant," said Mr Evans. "At that point, the group left and were not seen again."
Mr Evans described how the gang also tried to scam money out of a Whitehaven motorbike dealer - but the criminals fled when the owner became suspicious and threatened to call the police.
The gang also tried to defraud the Star of Siam restaurant in Keswick, ordering expensive champagne using a stolen bank card and then demanding a refund after complaining about the price.
Kate Hammond, for Malhi, accepted the defendant had played a leading role but said: "Sonia Malhi has been in custody since May 11, and your Honour will be aware as to the difficulties in custody for prisoners.
"Miss Mahli has been locked up for some considerable part of the day, each and every day." The lawyer said Mahli had missed the birthdays of two of her children.
Jailing her for 20 months, Recorder Eric Lamb told the defendant: "You moved into a leading role in the Cumbria offences; and in Cumbria you found a ready market for your particular deception."
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