Fraudster puts Dundee flat on the market for £45k in bid to avoid jail

A convicted scammer is making a final bid to sell his house — and spare himself another jail sentence.

Gerald Sunnie, of Aboyne Avenue, Dundee, was previously jailed for taking £49,000 from three OAPs across the country between August 2013 and August 2014.

He sent most of the money to “individuals across Europe” and kept some for himself.

Sunnie received cheques from three pensioners as part of a lottery scam.

His trial at Dundee Sheriff Court last year heard he had become involved after being duped into believing he had won a £200,000 American lottery prize.

The 59-year-old was jailed for six months and a proceeds of crime action was brought against him by the Crown Office to retrieve all the money lost by his victims.

Sunnie has spent the last few months trying to sell his house at offers of £45,000 or over but has been unsuccessful, solicitor Gary McIlravey told a hearing at the court.

Mr McIlravey accepted that even if Sunnie sells his house, he will still have to find the outstanding few thousand pounds.

He said: “Mr Sunnie has had severe difficulty coming up with the money. The only asset he has is his house which he has been trying to sell.

“It looked like a deal was going to be struck but this fell through. He has only had one viewing in September and no offers since then.”

When Sheriff Alastair Brown asked why the house was only put on the market recently, Mr McIlravey said that jobless Sunnie simply hadn’t had the money to do so before then.

The property is described as a spacious flat “in a popular residential area of Dundee. Many amenities are close by and main roads provide easy access to Dundee City Centre.”

It adds: “The entrance hallway leads to all accommodation including south-facing main living room and kitchen. The bedroom overlooks the rear mutual drying green.

“Although the property benefits from double glazing and gas central heating,
decoration and modernisation is required but this is reflected in the valuation and
asking price.”

The initial period for Sunnie to ask for further time to pay expired in September.

If he is unable to come up with the money, Sunnie could face an 18-month prison sentence.

But Sheriff Brown allowed him a further six weeks for payment.

He said: “I will extend the period for payment by six weeks.

“There are two purposes for that. One is to allow the accused to continue to market the property.

“The other is to allow the Crown to make an application for an enforcement administrator.

“We will sort out the procedural consequences of that when we see what happens.”

Sunnie’s case was continued until November 23.

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-money-launderer-%E2%80%8Bto-hand-back-49k-took-oaps-lottery-scam/