A PROLIFIC conman – who tours pubs collecting for fake charities – has been given yet another warning by the courts.
Convicted former football hooligan Norman ‘Knuckles’ Jones was jailed last August for 230 days for rattling a tin in aid of bogus ju-jitsu and kick-boxing.
Jones, 62, who used to live in Birtles Street, Nelson, and is a former leader of the notorious Burnley Suicide Squad, admitted fraudulently collecting in Rawtenstall on September 7 by Burnley magistrates. He was given a three-month curfew to remain at his new home in Higher Tentre, Burnley, between 9pm and 7am, to be monitored by an electronic tag.
The Burnley court heard that he was also in breach of a suspended sentence imposed by Chorley magistrates from May this year.
That was also for a fraud offence of false representation. But magistrates decided not to impose the three-month jail term because of Jones’ medical condition. The court heard he has recently been suffering from heart problems.
He will still remain under supervision by the probation service for around the next 18 months, they ruled.
Jones has previously been described in court as a ‘Walter Mitty’ character by his solicitor Richard Taylor.
While he often carried out such frauds he also undertook community work, particularly with Paradise FC, whose members have previously composed testimonials on his behalf.
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