A man has been sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for conning a travel agent in the village. He passed himself off as an agent for a popular singer, asking for a series of services that he either didn’t even attempt to pay for, or simply issued a bouncing cheque (sin fondos). The man, who comes from Madrid, also has to pay 2,500 euros in damages.

The incident took place in April 2007 when he approached the said travel agent, claimed he represented an important client as her agent, and booked a double room in a well-known hotel in Marbella. He also obtained a plane ticket, a hired car with chauffeur to pick up the famous Spanish singer, Francisco. He obtained this by handing over a cheque for 936 euros, despite knowing that there was nothing but cobwebs in the account. The next day he hired a rented car through them, paying with his Visa Card.

Several days later he returned and booked another room in Marbella, as well as eight return tickets on the AVE high-speed train between Sevilla and Madrid, without paying the 1,579 euros for these tickets.

From that moment on, he disappeared and shortly afterwards the travel agent was informed that the cheque had bounced.