A JAILED conman must pay £36,000 to a woman duped into believing she was to marry him, with whom she had a son bearing his false surname.

It follows proceeds of crime inquiries into the means and assets of fraudster Greg Wilson, who, purporting to be a firefighter, ‘James Scott’, conned the woman and her sister to “invest” almost £58,000 in fictitious property developments he claimed to be planning on the Quayside, in Newcastle, and Durham’s Ramside Hall Estate.

Both gave up good jobs to join him in the non-existent property ventures.

During the deception he led a double life, using his supposed shift patterns with Durham fire service to spend half the week with the conned woman, and the other half with his own wife and three sons at their Darlington home.

Durham Crown Court was told Wilson went to great lengths to make his plans appear realistic, forging documents, using fake email addresses and referring to fictitious associates.

Wilson hired professionals to help market his property plans, none of whom received any payment, claiming in one case that ex-Sunderland footballers Jack Rodwell and Vito Mannone were committed to moving into homes he planned to buy on the Ramside Estate.

Among his other victims were Tyneside commercial station, Metro Radio, for £17,700 of unpaid advertising promoting his developments.

The now 40-year-old former soldier, of Baird House, Thornaby, admitted 13 charges, including eight of fraud, involving sums up to £100,000.

He received a six-year prison sentence in April last year, when proceeds of crime inquiries were launched.

The case came back before the court, yesterday, with Wilson appearing via video link from Holme House Prison, in Stockton.

Richard Herrmann, for the Crown, said the only potential source of funds to recompense Wilson’s victims was a military pension of £1,200 per month.

Mr Herrmann said while there were a number of “significant losers”, including business concerns, sporting clubs and other organisations it was felt that the woman conned out of her savings was the “principal victim”.

Julian White, for Wilson, said his client agreed with that approach.

Recorder David Gordon, therefore, made a £36,000 compensation order at the rate of £1,000 per month for the next three years from the pension payments.