Pair used stolen details of pilot, lawyer and detective in bogus company scam

Two men used the identities of a pilot, lawyer and former detective in a £550,000 bogus company scam.

Brian Docherty, 49, and Declan Kearney, 33, set up fake firms to apparently hire expensive cars and buy goods which they then kept.

Docherty, of Cumbernauld, pleaded guilty to a string of fraud charges amounting to £303,500. Kearney, of Coatbridge, admitted frauds totalling £247,500.

The charges at Glasgow Sheriff Court span between August 2015 and January 2018.

The hearing was told Docherty and Kearney formed a number of companies using stolen details of genuine people.

Prosecutor Ryan Watson said: “Docherty and Kearney would contact legitimate companies.

“Arrangements would be made for credit facilities and or hire of materials and vehicles.

“False documents would be created in the names of genuine people and provided to these companies.”

On the rare occasion a payment was made, it was found be fraudulent and a cheque would bounce.

Docherty was able to secure £100,000 of Audi cars from a fleet management company then another £50,000-worth of the same make insisting they were for a roofing firm.

He also took £120,000 of vehicles from a separate vehicle business claiming to be the solicitor, who was supposedly a director of a cleaning firm.

Other swindles included getting £1,500 of security equipment.

Kearney agreed with a firm to hire 18 vehicles again for a roofing company, totalling £200,000. A huge £30,000 of fuel was also not paid for.

He further got his hands on his hands on 8,000 slates valued at £2,500.

Explaining how the crimes were uncovered, Mr Watson said: “[The retired detective sergeant] only became aware his identity had been compromised when he received correspondence from finance companies that he had defaulted on payments.

“The police contacted [the victim] in 2015 regarding him being a director of a cleaning company which was his first indication that his identity was being used.

“Around this time, he was the legitimate director of ten companies. He contacted Companies House to be removed as the director of the cleaning company.

“[The pilot] became aware of his identity being misused when Mercedes sent him a letter in 2016 saying he missed payments for a vehicle.”

The hearing was told that there has been no repayment of the sums taken.

Gareth Reid, defending Docherty, told the court: “He recognises that being convicted of this merits custody which will be inevitable.”

Duncan McPhie, defending Kearney, said: “My client is a first offender and a family man. I ask that bail be continued.”

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Sheriff Louise Arrol KC who granted both men bail.

She said: “Nothing should be read into giving you bail – this is serious and enormous amounts of money was obtained.

“Custody is in contemplation.”