A man, who reportedly defrauded a woman looking to obtain a bus for a trip, said he used the money to pay for his overseas filing.

O’mar Neil was hauled before senior parish judge at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court Lori-Ann Cole-Montague last week for the offence of obtaining money by false pretence, to which he pleaded guilty.

Court documents revealed that on March 17, the complainant paid Neil $30,000 to secure a bus for a trip after he pretended to be the nephew of a bus owner. However, when the vehicle did not materialise at the appointed time, the woman contacted the police and Neil was taken into custody.

After his arrest, Neil reportedly said to the police officer, “General, you know seh is a filing fi go overseas mi a deal wid and mi use up di money she give mi, and mi nuh get it back”.

During the proceedings, Neil’s attorney said he was sorry for what he did, and said he already repaid the $30,000.

However, Cole-Montague did not believe this was sufficient compensation for the complainant.

“You were inconvenienced, right?” she asked the complainant, who answered “Yes, Your Honour.”

The woman also stated that the cash she gave Neil was not only her money, and she was embarrassed when she had to explain the situation to the other individuals who were to go on the trip.

With this in mind, Neil was ordered to pay an extra $30,000 for punitive damages.

He is to return to court on May 11 with the money.