John "Johnny" Pollard, 50, took more than £30,000 in hotel and flight bookings from his unsuspecting customers, only then to forge the paperwork before telling them their trips had been cancelled by third parties when they chased him up.

One of Pollard’s victims said the money he lost from one of the supposed holiday bookings led to a divorce between him and his wife, adding it had taken him “years” to recoup his lost cash. Another said they had missed a wedding in Australia as a result of Pollard’s actions.

Only one of Pollard’s "clients" ever saw a refund for his fraudulent activities, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told on Thursday (6 April).

When Pollard was arrested, he continued to tell officers the holidays were legitimate and the bookings had been cancelled by the overseas suppliers. However, he later pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud by false representation, claiming he’d been “pressurised” into funding a lavish lifestyle by his then partner.

Sentencing Pollard to 20 months’ jail time, suspended for two years, Judge Ciaran Rankin said the fraudster had “twisted and turned” at every stage and “made up lies” to cover his tracks. “You attempted at every stage to avoid repayment, twisting and turning, making up further lies to cover up your tracks," said the judge.

"It’s suggested on your part that you are ashamed of what you have done – you should be. You’re lucky you’re not going to prison. You have a terrible record for dishonesty. You are nothing more than a conman. You are a thoroughly dishonest man."

It comes after former On the Beach and Bookable Holidays director Pollard was spared jail in 2011 after admitting defrauding an ex-employer out of more than £5,000, for which he was sentenced to 12 weeks suspended, again, for two years.

The court heard how Pollard originally faced 22 counts of fraud and had been due to stand trial during the pandemic. He was sentenced on Thursday on the basis of eight counts of fraud by false representation to which he pleaded guilty, which ran to £32,000.

Prosecuting, Adam Lodge said this activity took place from June 2016 to August 2017, when Pollard sold a range of “non-existent holidays”. He said that Pollard targeted friends or acquaintances, telling his clients they could buy “unsold” packages from him.

In one case, he told the court the defendant was contacted by a man, a Mr Bhopal, who spent £3,600 on a trip to Australia, only to find out his bookings were fake.

Mr Lodge said: “He was introduced to the defendant by a friend, as it was suggested that he could supply cheap holidays. In November 2016, Mr Bhopal got in touch with the defendant. He was sent what appeared to be flight confirmation details, an official-looking document. He was told close to the departure dates he would be sent a link allowing him to select seats. But it was when Mr Bhopal tried to add the flights to his airline rewards account he discovered there was no trace of the booking.”

The court heard Mr Bhopal tried to get a refund from Pollard after he became concerned due to complaints he had heard from his other clients. But the defendant said this was just part of a “rumour mill” that had been working overtime, and continued to respond with different excuses.

Mr Lodge also read a victim impact statement from a man called Mr White, who told the court his marriage had broken down partly because of the money he’d lost.

“It took him years to recoup the money and get back on his feet financially," said Mr Lodge. "It put a strain on the relationship with his wife. It may have been one of the factors resulting in divorce.”

Pollard was arrested, the court heard, on 4 April 2018 and told police he’d acted in “good faith”, booking holidays via brokers in Ukraine and Spain. But when police investigated, Mr Lodge said there was “no trace” of these companies, with the money only going into Pollard’s bank account.

He added: “The money went to fund the defendant’s own lifestyle – his food shopping, trips to restaurants – even his own holidays abroad.”

Defending Pollard, David Morton admitted he was “appalled by the way he [Pollard] had behaved". But the judge said the defendant, who had previous convictions for dishonesty, had blamed others while leading a life of luxury using fraudulently obtained money.

He said: “It was hard-earned money going into your pocket. There was a significant impact on holidays that were no doubt planned and looked forward to. You tried to blame others, effectively saying that you were pressurised into this offending due to the financial demands placed upon you by your then much younger girlfriend.

"If it wasn’t for your previous convictions, there may be some truth in that, but I take it for what it is – an attempt to deflect from your own misdeeds.”

Besides his 20-month suspended sentence, Pollard, of Hereford Grove in Urmston, Manchester, was also ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation days and complete 200 hours’ unpaid work in the community.

Barry Gooch, chair of Prevention of Fraud in Trade Ltd, told TTG: "I’m pleased he [Pollard] was caught and taken to court. But we remain disappointed with the sentences serial fraudsters like Johnny Pollard continue to receive. To send a strong message, they need to get a custodial sentence. This is not victimless crime."