A FRAUDSTER cynically conned restaurants out of money by not paying his bill after calmly tucking into meals and enjoying drinks including glasses of wine.
Grimsby magistrates heard he claimed he had no money on him, gave a dodgy address and offered to come back with cash at one restaurant after he was asked to pay.
The court even had doubts about a hostel address he gave.
Ian Jordison, 52, who claimed to be living at a Grimsby hostel, admitted falsely obtaining a meal and glasses of wine, valued at £22.40, from Steel's Fish Restaurant, Cleethorpes, on November 24.
He also admitted obtaining a meal and drinks, valued at £37.70, from the Golden Regency Chinese Restaurant, Grimsby, on November 25.
He asked for other offences to be considered, including obtaining another meal from Steel's, a meal from China Delights, in Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, a meal from the Meze restaurant, in High Street, Cleethorpes, a meal from La Bella, in Market Street, Cleethorpes, and obtaining a taxi journey.
Brendan Woodward, prosecuting, said the offences came to light when Jordison went to the Golden Regency Restaurant, in Old Market Street, Grimsby, and ordered a two-course meal. He also drank lager and cola, but later said he had no money to pay the £37.70 bill.
He asked if he could come back – and gave an address where it turned out he had not lived.
The police were called in and it was discovered that he had been to Steel's restaurant the previous day. He had just walked out from there after having a meal and drinking glasses of wine.
Jordison told the court he had suffered a lot of problems with his benefit and he had not been receiving the cash he had been expecting.
His sick note had run out and he claimed it took the benefit authorities "the best part of eight weeks" to sort his payment problems out.
He claimed: "I have every intention of going down and paying all the money I owe to people."
But the court heard that there were considerable doubts about where Jordison was actually living.
There seemed to be no official confirmation that he had actually been living in the hostel that he claimed to be, the court was told.
Jordison, who was in custody and had previous convictions, was given a one-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £97.49 compensation, made up of individual sums of £22.40, £22.35, £25.09, £15 and £12.65.
He must also pay £85 costs and a Government-imposed £15 victims' surcharge.
