A fraudster has been sentenced to three years in prison after scamming Facebook users out of more than £27,000. Edward McDonagh, currently incarcerated at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, appeared via video link at Caernarfon Crown Court for sentencing.
Prosecutor Catherine Elvin detailed how McDonagh committed 11 fraud offences between October 2022 and December 2023. He targeted individuals advertising goods on Facebook Marketplace, meeting them in person and falsely claiming to make payment. His victims lost a total of £27,585, with items including designer clothing, iPhones, iPads, and two Rolex watches.
In each case, McDonagh used a fake app to demonstrate payment and even pretended to call his bank, convincing victims that transfers could take up to 24 hours to process. Most transactions went smoothly for him, except for one.
McDonagh’s fraudulent activities spanned various locations, including Wrexham, Middlesborough, Flintshire, Corwen, and Great Sutton. One victim managed to capture a photo of McDonagh’s vehicle, a Peugeot van with plates registered to a Mazda, which led to additional charges.
In December 2023, he was also involved in motoring offences in Central London, where he drove away from police after a dispute, despite being a banned driver without insurance. He was later caught on CCTV during a fight in Wrexham.
With 21 prior convictions for 33 offences—including fraud, burglary, and theft—this latest round of crimes breached three suspended sentences. His defense attorney, Trevor Parry-Jones, noted McDonagh’s mental health issues and requested leniency due to his age when he started committing these offences.
Judge Nicola Saffman sentenced McDonagh to two years for the new offences and activated 12 months on the suspended sentences, resulting in a total of three years behind bars. Additionally, he received a six-month driving ban, which will extend by 18 months to reflect half of his custodial sentence.
