A THURROCK-based Uber driver walked away from the Old Bailey after being allowed his freedom despite admitting a fraud that saw him gamble away more than £150,000 of someone else's money.

Dad of five Fezan Burki, 35, from St John's Way, Stanford-le-Hope, used a cloned a Coutts bank card to sign up with six different betting companies where he deposited and lost the cash obtaining by closing a bank card.

Burki admitted fraud by false representation and possessing articles for fraud at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 17 November and was sentenced at the Old Baily last week.

He was also caught with images of 15 other people's bank cards, driving licences, and passports after police seized his phones in March last year.

The court heard £153,305.67 was stolen from a Coutts bank account belonging to account holder Benjamin Fox and his wife Kerry, whose card was cloned.

The bank was able to refund a sum of £134,000 to the couple.

In mitigation, defence counsel for Burki said he had been suffering mental disorder following a knife attack at the hands of his brother-in-law in November 2018. The court was told Burki stole the money in a bid to provide for his children.

Judge Rebecca Trowler said there was a degree of mitigation and a low risk of him offending and issued a two year suspended jail sentence.