A DISABLED man conned fellow sheltered housing residents with a string of lies and broken promises to feed a gambling habit, a court heard yesterday.

After four residents fell foul of Edward Peter O'Neill, the 56-year-old, who has a plastic knee as a result of cancer, fled to the coast to get away, magistrates in Darlington were told.

O'Neill even told one resident how he hoped they could get engaged, as he conned her into handing over a total of £320, saying he would pay her back, said prosecutor David Crook.

The victim, Carol Dawes, was in court to see O'Neill plead guilty to four counts of obtaining money by deception and receive a two-year probation order. She declined to comment as she left.

Mr Crook said: "He accepts that he lied to her and laid it on thick in order to con her, and he accepts he deceived her out of various items of cash."

George Hager, another resident of Rockcliffe Court, Hurworth, near Darlington, where the offences took place, was talked into handing over £90 when O'Neill said he would bring him back duty free goods from a holiday, the court heard.

Phillip Hobbs was conned out of £1,035.99, which he was told was a deposit for a holiday in Greece, while Anthony Vose, who worked as an agent for catalogues, was also a victim, said Mr Crook.

O'Neill ran up a catalogue bill of more than £2,400 before fleeing to Scarborough, where he now lives in Valley Bridge Parade.

Lyanne Steinberg, defending O'Neill, said: "It seemed his problems started on the day that he moved into the sheltered accommodation.

"He became extremely depressed at this place and was basically unhappy. This led to his offending, as he was gambling and needed to feed his habit.

"From the start, it was never his intention to deceive these people and he started out wanting friendship."

O'Neill was ordered to pay a total of £656.33 in compensation to his victims.

The offences happened in a 12-month period, starting in January last year.

Paul Lightfoot, head of care services at Broadacres Housing Association, which owns Rockcliffe Court, was unavailable to comment last night