Man sentenced for £1.3m banking fraud

A self-confessed conman who once scammed TV presenters Stephen Nolan and Eamonn Holmes, was today sent to jail for further offences.

John Cartmill, 43, from west Belfast, admitted more than 40 fraud and money-laundering charges, amounting to more than one million pounds.

Judge Sandra Crawford described him in court as a “professional fraudster”.

He was given a four-year sentence, with two years in jail and two on licence.

He had more than 100 previous convictions, and one tabloid newspaper recently labelled him “king con”.

In 2014, he was convicted of charges linked to credit card frauds. His victims included Mr Nolan and Mr Holmes.

In a subsequent TV interview with Mr Nolan in 2015, Cartmill admitted he had been a conman, but insisted it was in the past.

Cartmill said: “I’ve moved on. I want to be able to have the chance to rectify anything that I’ve done wrong in my past.”

However, he returned to crime and pleaded guilty last year to 44 fraud and money-laundering offences.

Cartmill, from Coolnasilla Park, Belfast, was sentenced on Friday along with three other men on lesser charges.

Afterwards, Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Det Ch Insp Uel Boyd outlined the nature of the crimes.

He said: “Between 2017 and 2020, Cartmill contacted a number of account holders, many of them older people, by phone. He purported to be a representative from their bank and tricked them into handing over sensitive information.”

DCI Boyd said Cartmill used his victims details to contact banks and log into online bank apps.

He then “moved the funds within the accounts to other accounts throughout the world”,

The total amount lost to the banking industry is £1.3 million.

The police said Cartmill’s jail sentence should send a message to those involved in scamming.

DCI Boyd said: “They will be vigorously pursued and brought before the courts to face the consequences of their actions.

“The lengths that criminals will go to in order to get their hands on your money are extensive, and we would ask everyone to take a minute to question that email, call or text message that seems to be from your bank before acting.”

Cartmill was led away from the dock in handcuffs to begin his sentence. He gave a thumbs up to the public gallery before being taken to prison.