A RESTAURANT worker who obtained more than £400 by pretending he would supply tickets for an English Premiership match has been ordered to pay back the cash within two weeks.

A RESTAURANT worker who obtained more than £400 by pretending he would supply tickets for an English Premiership match has been ordered to pay back the cash within two weeks.

Ross Butler, 36, told a man working near his home in Melrose that he knew someone who had access to getting tickets for a hospitality box at Newcastle United matches.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that £427 in cash was handed over for the visit of Chelsea to St James Park in December.

Butler told his victim his friend would meet him at the ground and take him inside but when the man insisted on receiving tickets there was no reply to the numerous attempts to contact him.

Eventually the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be Butler’s brother saying he had suffered a family beareavement and was in a bad way and he would try to get the money back for him.

Fiscal Tessa Bradley said the police were contacted and Butler made no reply to caution and charge. He was forthright with police and admitted the friend who had access to Newcastle tickets did not exist and added: “I will pay back the money as soon as possible.” Defence lawyer Ian Burke asked for a fortnight for repayment to be made.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “This was a calculated piece of dishonesty and deceit. The court takes a dim view and will take an even dimmer one if you cannot produce a receipt to show repayment has been made.” Butler of Dingleton Road, Melrose, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud between August 13 and 16 last year. Sentence was deferred until April 13 for the money to be paid back.