‘I was forced to take part in the scam when someone threatened to burn my house down’

A bogus estate agent was caught trying to cheat a couple out of a deposit when the real owners showed up, a court heard.

Preet-kaur Johal, 26, claimed she only went along with plan to con to scam prospective tennats Alex Water and Aline Lima out of £1,500 because ‘a friend of a friend’ threatened to burn her house down.

Prosecutor Corran Helme said: ‘There were two people contacted through Gumtree about renting a property.

‘The defendant met the couple on two previous occasions including showing them around the property which didn’t belong to her nor was she instructed to show anybody around.

‘She received a deposit of £1,500 for the rental in cash.

‘When she was in the property showing the premises to the couple the owner of the property arrives and he’s in shock that this is going on.

‘When the defendant is confronted, she does confess.’

The prosecutor added: ‘Officers were called to the scene.

‘She was in possession of a driving licence in the same of Saira Patel.’

Wearing a green jumper Johal represented herself at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court.

‘To be honest it was a friend of a friend, I didn’t know what was going on because I was under the influence of drink and alcohol,’ she said.

‘He poured me a bottle of wine and said I’m going to be viewing properties.

‘I legitimately thought it was a job. I didn’t know until later on, just before the deposit that’s when I knew. Sorry my voice is shaking.

‘The guy said I’m going to come to your house, burn it down, that’s why I agreed to it which I knew was wrong.’

Johal, of Burns Way, Hounslow, admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of possessing another persons identity document.

She was fined £175 and handed a 12 month community order which requires her to fulfil 25 days rehabilitation, 19 sessions of a thinking skills programme and 120 hours of unpaid work.
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