Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Fraudster pretends to be Everton footballer to take Mini Cooper

Fraudster pretends to be Everton footballer to take Mini Cooper

A man lied about being an Everton footballer as he conned a garage out of a £24,000 car, a court has heard.

Todd Baston pretended he was on loan with the Toffees from Aston Villa's Under-23s squad to test drive a Mini Cooper Sport and failed to return it.

He also used identification from a man he had met on a night out.

The 24-year-old, from Devon, admitted fraud by false representation at Liverpool Crown Court, where the judge said he had since "rehabilitated".

The court heard that Baston was described as "very confident and convincing to the degree that no suspicions about what he claimed were raised" when he visited the garage in Great Howard Street, Liverpool in October 2019.

Prosecutor Cheryl Mottram said: "The identification he had used belonged to another male who had met the defendant briefly on a night out [who] discovered shortly after that his bank card and driving licence were missing."

The business manager at the garage allowed Baston, from Exmouth, to test drive the car after the identification was checked with the driving licence authority.

'Chaotic lifestyle'


He was meant to return the car two days later but rang the garage and delayed the return and then did not answer phone calls.

The court heard Baston later told the garage he was on a train and thought his agent had returned the car and he tried to rearrange dropping the car off near a hotel but the car has still not been found.

In 2020 Baston told the police he had never visited the garage but later pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. A charge of stealing the car, which he had denied, was dropped.

The garage said it had lost £13,539.

The court heard that Baston has previous offences including fraud and taking a car without consent, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence last May.

Lloyd Morgan, defending, said Baston "had quite a chaotic lifestyle, having had some difficulties as a child but he has managed to turn his life around".

"He has moved away from his peers who led him astray and he is in a settled relationship and contributes to the family and the community."

The judge, Recorder Simon Parrington, told Baston he was "within an ace" of going away.

"I am however persuaded that because of your conduct over the past year or so you have effectively rehabilitated and in those circumstances I can take a different course," he said.

Baston was given a two-year suspended sentence and was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×