Gambler swindled sports fans out of £60k in ticket scam to fund his addiction

A conman fleeced sports fans out of more than £60,000 in a ticket scam for tickets to Wimbledon, Six Nations and the Champions League.

Jamie Keeble, 45, conned at least 14 victims into paying for memorabilia, packages and tickets to fund his online gambling addiction.

He conned fans into buying tickets to he England v Wales Six Nations rugby match, Arsenal v Barcelona in the Champions League and the Wimbledon men’s final.

But the merchandise and tickets never existed.

Keeble, who used aliases such as James Edward Maxwell, James Edward Keeble and James Munroe, also promised his victims extras like front row seats and a meet-and-greet with players.

He was finally stung by police in September 2016 after conning sports fans for over a year, but Keeble denied 14 counts of fraud.

Lewes Crown Court heard many of his customers were contacted by word of mouth, but the conman also targeted members of online clubs and auctions.

Following a trial Keeble, of Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for five years and also received a 40-months behind bars to run concurrently for similar offences in 2012.

Detective Constable Andy Robinson said: “Keeble conducted a targeted campaign against a number of victims over a prolonged period of time.

“He offered a variety of high-value items for sale, some of which are not actually available to purchase.

“He denied everything throughout the investigation, claiming the tickets and memorabilia were genuine but that he was let down by his suppliers.

“This was a total fabrication of the truth. “He also showed no remorse at any stage, and it is unfortunate that none of the money he claimed has ever been recovered. Instead, he used it to fund his online gambling addiction.

“I hope Keeble will learn from his mistakes and resist the temptation to re-offend in the future.

“His actions have clearly had huge financial implications on his victims. “I would urge anyone who is offered any tickets or memorabilia for sale through an unrecognised source to be wary.

“Check with the venue or the supplier to confirm the seller is registered and that the goods offered are genuine.

“And if in doubt, don’t buy them. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is.”