PC scam gang is banged to rights

Three men are facing jail after a u1 million scam involving false computer contracts was discovered, Manchester Crown Court heard last week.

Peter Stokes, 27, persuaded backers to give him cash by claiming he had lucrative contracts to supply Salford Council with PCs. Stokes claimed that backers of his company, Premium Automatic Systems, would get up to 50 per cent profit on their investment.

Twenty-five investors forked out u1.06 million to Stokes. The biggest victim was Salford businessman Les Hampson who paid u153,000. Phil Collins of Merseyside lost u80,000 and Brian Shaw of Shrewsbury lost his life savings of u78,000.

The unlucky investors were conned by Stokes and two other men, Anthony Lorenzo Deslandes, 30, and Michael John Rowley, 46. Deslandes posed as a council official responsible for PC buying.

Stokes pleaded guilty to several charges of fraud and theft at Manchester Crown Court last week, and Deslandes and Rowley, who both pleaded not guilty, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud after an eight-day trial.

The three men will be sentenced on May 7. DC Brian Urmson, who led the investigation, branded Stokes a 'Walter Mitty' character whose aim was to get cash to establish himself in legitimate business.

'Stokes was so arrogant that he believed he could do this and then set up a computer training company and make money out of a chatline company,' said Urmson.

The scam was discovered when a cheque to an investor bounced. Stokes temporarily admitted himself to a psychiatric ward at Leigh Infirmary rather than face those firms he had swindled.