A lettings agency owner whose business hit trouble after Covid has avoided jail for fraud.

John Oneill – who pleaded guilty last month – has now been sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for two years, for fraud by representation between August 2022 to January 2023.

Oneill, now a resident of Northern Ireland, previously managed an agency in Chester.

A court heard that a new tenant paid a year’s rent in advance at £1,200 per calendar month with a £1,200 deposit.

The prosecution told the court: “The money was not initially passed on to the victim by Oneill, but instead in ‘dribs and drabs’ with an eventual fraud of £10,800.”

ONeill’s defence said he was a former soldier with nearly 30 years of service, who used his army pension grant of £57,000 to set up the agency, with £38,000 in housing equity.

“He didn’t return the money because he was using it to keep the company running and pay staff salaries” the court heard.

The defence also highlighted the veteran’s post-traumatic stress disorder.

Magistrates told him: “This [offence] does pass the custodial threshold, but you will not go to prison today.

“We sentence you to six months, reduced to four months for your early guilty plea.

“We will suspend it for two years as we believe that there is a realistic chance of rehabilitation.”

Oneill was ordered to pay compensation of £10,800 plus a surcharge of £153 and costs of £85.

You can see the full local media report of the sentencing trial here: https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/25929813.chester-magistrates-court-suspends-sentence-fraud/