A SERIAL fraudster who used dating agencies to meet women before stealing their bank details has been jailed for more than a year at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
Duncan Flett - who has dozens of convictions for similar scams - stayed at the homes of three women after gaining their trust and then stole their bank cards when they went to work.
The 48-year-old casanova conman would use the money to pay for hotels and travel throughout the UK and to fund his chaotic lifestyle.
One furious victim even set up a Facebook page showing his photographs under the heading Duncan "Tealeaf" Flett.
But after admitting four fraud offences, Flett - originally from Orkney - was given a 14-months jail sentence to "protect people" from his scams.
He pleaded guilty to stealing £900 worth of electrical items, DVDs and computer games from a house in Tulloch Court in Dundee on February 13, 2018, which belonged to a woman on an on-line dating agency and receiving £100 in money for them from Cash Converters.
Flett also admitted defrauding the same woman by using her bank cards to make almost £1,000 worth of bogus payment for hotel and transport bills during the course of 2017.
In November, 2018, he stole two Bank of Scotland cards from the home of a woman in Lauder, and ran up hotel bills in Edinburgh to the value of £374.
Flett preyed on a third woman he had been staying with in Kelso, in June 2019, and stole two bank cards before withdrawing £350 from a cash machine.
Defence lawyer Mark Harrower said:"What is worrying is that there has been a clear pattern and he could not expect to get away with this and he knew he was going to get caught."
He added his client had a "horrendous drink problem".
Mr Harrower said custody was inevitable but said credit should be given for pleading guilty at the outset.
Sheriff Peter Anderson said Flett was a "tragic waste of a life" considering his talents and added that he had used his talents "to take advantage of other people".
He added:"Your drink problem is sort of an explanation but as accepted by you it is not an excuse.
"I will be imposing a prison sentence partly to protect people."
Sheriff Anderson reduced the prison sentence on Flett - who gave an address in Ferry Road, Edinburgh - from 21 months to 14 months to reflect the guilty plea.
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