A SERIAL fraudster who owes the authorities more than £95,000 after selling bogus items on online auction sites was yesterday ordered to repay just £1 for his latest crimes.

Phillip Shortman, 22 of Taffs Court, Thornhill, Cwmbran, was jailed for 30 months last July after he admitted selling non-existent Six Nations rugby tickets, computer graphics cards, laptops and games consoles via eBay and the classifieds website Gumtree.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) yesterday made an application to recover the £7,226.22 he made from his last conviction made through a Proceeds of Crime Act application but as Shortman has no assets Judge David Morris could only make a nominal order for £1.

The father-of-three, who is still serving his sentence, also owes more than £95,000 outstanding from two previous confiscation orders for similar offences.

If Shortman gains assets in the future the CPS can apply again for him to repay the money.

During his last court appearance in July the court heard that on one occasion Shortman advertised a Hewlett Packard laptop on eBay, but after he received payment from the buyer, he sent out an inferior model, which was badly scratched and had glue on the keypad.

In the case of the rugby tickets, he sent envelopes, which appeared to have been ripped open and the tickets stolen, the court heard.

Shortman gained notoriety in 2005 after he was convicted of 21 similar offences - using the proceeds of his frauds to fund a lavish trip to New York.

He was given a 12 month detention and training order.

In 2007 he was detained for two years after he admitted he made £14,200 by conning eBay users into buying camcorders, non-existent Ryder Cup tickets and a mobile phone.

Shortman must pay the £1 within seven days. If he fails to do so he must serve a further seven days of his existing sentence.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Crime shouldn't pay

MANY will be rightly outraged at the court order placed on a fraudster yesterday to pay back just £1 despite pocketing more than £95,000 through ill-gotten gains.

Phillip Shortman is a young man we have regularly reported on for ripping off people on the auction site eBay.

He was jailed for 30 months last July after admitting selling non-existent Six Nations rugby tickets, computer graphics cards, laptops and games consoles via eBay and another website, Gumtree.

Yesterday the Crown Prosecution Service tried to recover £7,226.22 through a proceeds of crime act.

But the court was told he had no assets and ordered him to pay back £1 - and gave him a week to do so.

We find this a complete nonsense.

The cost of bringing this case to court yesterday would have cost hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.

And yet here we have a man who has lived a lavish lifestyle through crime being ordered to payback just £1.

Again, the victims have been kicked in the teeth. And again it is the criminal and not the victim who triumphs.

We are told that Shortman could be made to pay back more in the future when he legitimately starts earning money.

But there is no guarantee he will ever pay back anymore than that £1.

Suggesting yet again that crime really does pay.