Fraudster used knowledge of Hearts to dupe garages

28 May 1993

HEART of Midlothian footballer Graeme Hogg was the victim of a fraudster who used his name to dupe garage owners out of petrol, Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told yesterday.

Thomas Shanks, 38, posed as the player on three occasions, and claimed he did not have his wallet.

He promised to return each time to pay for the fuel, but never did.

However, the footballer was not the only Hearts man to suffer from Shanks's confidence tricks.

Former team manager Joe Jordan lent him a training sweatshirt after he posed as a primary school team coach and turned up at Hearts' Tynecastle ground.

The fraud was uncovered when the sweatshirt was not returned, as promised.

Shanks later told police he had taken the top to a local school, where he had offered his services as trainer, but they were declined, the court was told.

Shanks, of Gunnet Court, Edinburgh, admitted a total of seven charges of fraud, including the incidents involving Hearts, between March and July 1992.

Depute-fiscal Brian Robertson said Shanks had obtained petrol totalling £25 on the three occasions he posed as the Hearts footballer at garages at Whitburn, Linlithgow, and Edinburgh.

The court was told that the confidence trickster wore either a Hearts top or shellsuit, and that because of the knowledge he displayed of the club, was able to put forward a fairly convincing pretence.

He emphasised that Shanks had no links with the club.

Sheriff Gordon Shiach deferred sentence until June 16 for background reports on Shanks, who was said to have previous convictions for fraud.

Taken from the Herald