Man took almost £100,000 from banks and accounts

Raad Hajim, 49, from Darlington, applied for credit cards with hefty limits by lying about his annual income.

A court heard yesterday that he also had deposits paid into his bank from other people's accounts after their details were stolen.

Hajim admitted a series of charges of obtaining services by deception - credit cards with Morgan Stanley, HFC Bank and Egg - throughout 2003.

He also pleaded guilty to a money-laundering offence that encompassed the long-running fraud and amounted to £94,500.

There were eight individual money-laundering offences, to which he pleaded not guilty, which prosecutors accepted.

The judge adjourned the case of Raad Hajim until September 6, when he will be sentenced, and warned him jail was an option.

Probation workers will compile a pre-sentence report, and the court will also be given a medical report concerning a back problem Hajim has. Judge Armstrong ordered Hajim to surrender his passport and not apply for other travel documents before he is sentenced.

He also told him to stay at his home in Hilda Street every night.

Hajim admitted obtaining by deception a Morgan Stanley credit card on January 30, an HFC Bank credit card on April 2, and an Egg credit card on May 4, all 2003, by falsely representing his financial status.

He also admitted a charge of being concerned in an arrangement that he knew or suspected to facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person.

His brother, Saad Hajim, 46, from Old Trafford, Manchester, denied obtaining services by deception and money- laundering. Teesside Crown Court was told that Saad Hajim had similarly applied for an Egg credit card with inflated income claims and gave £10,000 to an associate of his brother's for gambling.

No evidence was offered on either of the charges against Saad Hajim, and Judge Peter Armstrong recorded not guilty verdicts on both of the counts.