A CONMAN who became involved in a nationwide scam to dupe car owners walked free from court with a warning from a judge: "Don't make a fool out of me".

Recorder Timothy Stead said he was taking a chance on Darlington fraudster Lloyd Bedwell, but warned him that he will be locked up if he returns to his dishonest ways.

Teesside Crown Court was told Bedwell had a string of previous convictions for offences such as obtaining property by deception and making false statements.

But his barrister said the father-to-be had recently settled down, is to get married next year and will put his criminal past behind him when he starts a new job.

Kieran Rainey, mitigating, told Mr Recorder Stead that Bedwell has been offered a post as an accounts manager with a Darlington firm which starts this week.

He said Bedwell's offending coincided with him being unemployed and still wanting to enjoy life's luxuries, but said he had been out of trouble since the 2009 car con.

In June 2009, he travelled to Nottingham from the NorthEast - with a forged banker's draft - to buy a £12,600 BMW advertised in a car magazine.

The owner and his father were suspicious of the man who called himself Dave, and took a photograph of him as he drove away in the car.

The cheque, in the name of David Swales, bounced, and a year later police traced Bedwell to Darlington where he was arrested. He later admitted a charge of fraud.

Mr Rainey said Bedwell was recruited by "a professional organisation" which was running an extensive con involving counterfeit cheques.

"This is the defendant's only part in the scheme, " said Mr Rainey. "He didn't manufacture any of the documentation, and he didn't make any of the running.

"It was only on the day of this offence that it became clear to him that this was more than a simple pick-up job on behalf of someone who couldn't be bothered to do it."

The court heard that Bedwell, of Duke Street, Darlington, was offered £100 for collecting the car, given the exact rail fare, some false identification and the cheque.

"At this time he felt desperate, but immediately afterwards it made him think about things, " said Mr Rainey.

"He had turned to crime to fill that void (left by unemployment)."

Mr Recorder Stead imposed a community order for 18 months, but said: "My first thought was a prison sentence. I hope he doesn't go on to make a fool out of me as well as everyone else."