Betting-Shop Conman O'Connor Lives Up To His Name

Betting-Shop Blarney: O'Connor

A fast-talking betting-shop swindler, who boozed away the profits of his audacious scam, which involved tricking staff into believing he placed winning bets, has received a suspended prison sentence.

He intimidated and confused betting shop cashiers into believing he had won bets, losing the bookmakers around £10,000

John O’Connor, 33, of St Mary's Road, Ealing, conned staff at 14 branches of Ladbrokes across London and the UK over around 18 months, from July 2012.



He used a number of what the betting industry refers to as “slow count fraud” tactics, to fool staff into believing he had won bets when, in some cases, he had not even paid his stake.



Tactics included placing a bet but then distracting the cashier - sometimes with the help of friends - by asking questions, becoming rowdy or placing a series of small, obscure bets at the same time.

This would allow him time to see if his runner was likely to win. 



If it won, he would hand over his stake and claim the profit, or else pretend he had already paid and ask only for his winnings.

He would then place the non-existent stake on another bet and if he lost, he would leave without paying the stake. 



On The Con: O'Connor In Action

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard O’Connor targeted London branches in Hillingdon, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster.

He also travelled around the country to Clevedon, Somerset; Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham; Chester; Standish, Greater Manchester; Sandy, Bedfordshire; Chelmsford, Essex and Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.



Ladbrokes reported the offences to the Metropolitan Police Service in April 2013, after he carried out the con at a branch on Oxford Street, Westminster.

Detectives circulated CCTV images of him to police services around the country and Hertfordshire police officers arrested him in July 2014.



O’Connor was charged with 15 counts of a fraud by misrepresentation, to which he pleaded guilty.



While on bail, awaiting sentence, he carried out the same offence at William Hill, Tyburn Road, Edington, Birmingham on December 28, last year.



It is believed that he may have carried out the scam on many more occasions.



O'Connor received eighteen months imprisonment, suspended for two years and was placed on probation for twelve months, which includes a four-month alcohol treatment order.