Ed Sheeran ticket scammer in court

Liam McMahon, who has already served a 28-month jail term for similar frauds, and for possessing indecent images, targeted fans desperate to see acts and festivals.

Some victims sent off up to £350 but never received tickets.

McMahon, 31, now of Foster Street, Oldham, admitted 26 counts of fraud by false representation amounting to around £4,000. He masterminded 20 of them from Preston.

McMahon, also known as Tobia Elba Liam, also pleaded guilty to seven breaches of a sexual harm prevention order relating to telling police about his address, passport, bank accounts, and a name change.

McMahon was given the order a few years ago after a United States child protection team alerted police that images had been downloaded on his computer at an address in London.

One ticket trade website, Scarlet Mist, previously said in a post they had been aware of his activities since 2006 and even received an e-mail from him saying: “ I’m the idiot who has been plaguing you site with fraud, and I’m formally apologising to you all.

Victim Alannis Beecroft, 19, who was studying an apprenticeship, told the Post she handed over £160 for tickets to the Download music festival.

She said: “I bought a ticket from him in May 2016 for £160 and then found out a couple of days later that he was a scam artist. I found out from a buy swap or sell page where he was advertising the tickets!

“I was pretty annoyed and upset that I trusted this stranger and he lied to me. I was an apprentice at the time so £160 was a lot of money.

“I had to fork out a further £225 for an actual ticket which left me very short for the actual festival.”

Lucy Hailstones, was stung when he posed as a woman. She added: “He was selling tickets to Ed Sheeran under the name of Jenny Paton.”

Judge Philip Parry, at Preston Crown Court, adjourned his sentencing until February 1.