An Axminster man swindled £3,000 from a transport firm by using a stolen fuel card to fill up his camper van 32 times.

Martin Redford was caught on CCTV at filling stations in North Devon and he put up to 100 litres of diesel a time into the vehicle or into petrol drums.

He claimed he had no idea that the card had been stolen and said he was getting the fuel for a mystery friend named Dale Wilson, who the police were unable to trace.

He said Mr Wilson was planning to use some of the diesel in his boat and had let him use the card to fill his camper van as reward from doing him favours.

The card had in fact been stolen from a logistics company named Greencore DTS which is based at Exeter Airport. They reported its loss to the police after they discovered it was being used illegally to buy fuel.

Redford, aged 48, formerly of Poplar Mount, Axminster, but now living at Stella Maris Court, Bideford, denied fraud but was convicted by magistrates and committed for sentence at Exeter Crown Court.

He was jailed for eight months, suspended for a year and ordered to take part in a 12-session mental health treatment programme and 15 days of rehabilitation activities by Recorder Miss Hannah Willcocks, KC.

She chose not to activate a one year suspended sentence which was imposed at Exeter Crown Court in July 2020 for drug supply and firearms offences. She said she was taking into account the successful work which Redford completed with probation and his current poor mental health.

She fined him £50 for breaking the suspended sentence. She told him: “The impact statement from the company shows the effect on them was detrimental.”

Mr Peter Coombe, prosecuting, said Redford used the stolen card 32 times between November 11, 2021 and February 1, 2022 and was filmed at the Morrison’s filling station at Bideford putting diesel into a camper van and drums.

There were others with him on occasions and he told police after his arrest he said he was given the card by Mr Wilson and had no idea it was stolen.

Miss Bathsheba Cassel, defending, said Redford wants to apologise to the company and regrets their loss. He has stayed out of trouble since this offence and did well under his previous suspended sentence, tackling his own drug problem and seeking help for his mental health.

He is now living a more stable existence but would welcome more help from the probation service. He is currently living on benefits because his poor mental health means his is unable to work.