A Renfrewshire crook who stole money from dog lovers with fake puppy adverts has escaped a jail sentence.
Lauren O’Neill posted adverts online of dogs and puppies for sale and accepted deposits and full payments before sending buyers to random addresses to collect their “new pet”.
However, when the buyers turned up at these properties, there were no puppies, the householders were totally unaware and their cash was never returned.
The procurator fiscal depute yesterday told Paisley Sheriff Court: “On October 19, 2023, the complainer saw an advert for dogs and puppies for sale for £400.
“A name of Brian Jensen and a contact number was provided on the advert. The complainer used the number and spoke to a male who stated he would send a video of the pups on WhatsApp.
“The video was sent and the complainer agreed to transfer £200 as a deposit to the bank of O’Neill. The male provided an address in Eastriggs [Dumfriesshire] for where the pups were and asked for the remainder of the money to be transferred.
“The remaining £200 was transferred on the same day. The complainer then attended at the address given by the male and the occupants were completely unaware of the sale of any dogs or pups.
“The complainer contacted the male asking for a refund and he was told to ‘f**k off’. The bank of the complainer was contacted and police were shown a bank statement which confirmed their money entering O’Neill’s account.”
O’Neill then conned another dog lover out of £200 using the same method in an offence that took place between November 2 and November 4, 2023.
This time, the complainer handed over a £200 deposit before arriving at a house in Newton Mearns [East Renfrewshire], again only to find out they had been duped.
The fiscal added: “The female attended to pick up a puppy and when she went to the address, the occupants knew nothing about puppies. The complainer contacted the male’s number and got no response. She then contacted her bank and the police.”
Defence agent Ms Storie told the court the criminal justice social work report prepared by the social work department provided a “detailed explanation” as to why O’Neill, 31, carried out this crime.
Sheriff Thomas McCartney slammed this claim stating: “The explanation is one I cannot give weight to. The explanation given to the social worker is she maintains she did not know or suspect this was criminal conduct.”
Ms Storie added: “She is genuinely remorseful. This is her first time before the court, she is a singe mother and lives with her grandparents awaiting her own tenancy.
“There was no financial gain on her part, the money was withdrawn from her account by the male who she’s not named.”
Sentencing, Sheriff McCartney stated: “The report is of limited assistance to me because the social worker proceeded on the basis you were entirely unaware of the criminal, fraudulent behaviour involved here.
“You have pled guilty to offences that you knew or suspected that constituted criminal conduct. It is not a minor matter.”
But he added: “I shall deal with this with an alternative to a period of imprisonment.
O’Neill, of Sir Michael Place in Paisley, was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community within 12 months.
In addition, she was made subject to supervision for nine months and ordered to pay back compensation of £400 and £200 to her two victims.
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