A clergyman has been sentenced to just over six years in prison for a series of fraud offences committed over nearly two years.
Gavin Otto was jailed for 6 years, 1 month and 24 days by Justice Ann Marie Smith after admitting all 19 charges against him.
The offences — committed between February 2021 and October 2022 — included 13 counts of obtaining money by false pretences and six counts of fraudulent conversion.
Prosecutors said Otto took payments for construction materials and shipping containers that were never delivered, and routinely issued cheques without sufficient funds.
Several service stations also cashed cheques from his personal account, all of which later bounced.
Police arrested Otto in October 2022 after he attempted to escape over a fence during a search of his home. Officers recovered receipts and cheque stubs linked to the offences.
