FRAUDSTER Mark Hoodless duped online buyers out of thousands of pounds after claiming he was selling the rare LEGO figure Mr Gold, Champions League football tickets, cameras and iPads.
The gambling addict took his customers' cash – even though he never had the goods or posted something else to the buyer instead.
Hoodless was given a 21-month prison sentence yesterday, suspended for two years, after he pleaded guilty to 16 charges of fraud.
Judge Michael Stokes QC told him: "What you require is the sword of Damocles, so to speak, so you know with certainty if you commit another offence you will go to prison for a long time indeed."
Hoodless was jailed for eight months last year for similar offences using a selling website, Nottingham Crown Court heard. He was released in September and within three weeks he began committing these offences.
Among items he offered for sale online was the rare, shiny white-gloved LEGO collectable Mr Gold (pictured).
Hoodless was selling him for £160 but sent an ordinary Roman centurion figure instead to his buyer.
Football fans bought tickets but never received them, despite travelling long distances to watch games, in the belief they would get them when they arrived at the stadium.
Hoodless, 27, of Huntingdon Street, Nottingham, conned supporters that he could supply tickets for Arsenal's Champions' League away match in Dortmund, Germany, in November last year.
Judge Stokes said: "The individuals stood outside the Dortmund ground, thinking they had Arsenal tickets, very quickly realised, as the whistle blew, they were not going to get in."
In January this year Hoodless sent a plate in the post to a disabled man in Bestwood, who thought he was buying a £300 iPad to use during his forthcoming stay in hospital.
Hoodless also claimed he had four iPhone 5S models for sale, a laptop, PlayStation4, Jimmy Hendrix memorabilia, a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung S4 and a keyboard.
He also used another man's name to open a bank account on October 4 last year.
The offences were mainly between October 1 last year and February 14 this year, and the amount involved was more than £8,000.
When Hoodless "came clean", said prosecutor Sarah Munro, he was ashamed and embarrassed by his behaviour.
Lisa Hardy, mitigating, insisted he was seeking help for his gambling problem.
"He is candid in saying he hit rock bottom.
"He is not coping very well."
