Gambling Addict swindles grandmother

Conman swindled grandmother out of £150,000 to fund gambling addiction
Margaret Gallivan says she 'would have retired by now if it weren't for' Ryan Burnside conning her out of her life savings.

Court: Ryan Burnside jailed for two years for major fraud.

A bogus financial advisor conned a grandmother out of her £150,000 retirement fund to fund his gambling addiction.

Ryan Burnside told his victim he was investing her life savings overseas, but he was using the cash to pay off debts and continue his gambling habit.

The 35-year-old created a fantasy lifestyle to entice mental health officer Margaret Gallivan to hand over her money, lying to her about having large plots of land, expensive cars and a ficitious wife and children.

He did not tell her he had been sacked from his post as a senior financial advisor for "financial irregularities".

Mrs Gallivan, 62, will now have to work past her planned retirement date and has had to take on a lodger at her Bridge of Allan home after her savings were taken from her.

Burnside was jailed for two years and four months on Wednesday after he admitted defrauding the woman out of £150,000.

Sheriff William Gilchrist said he had committed a "gross breach of trust".

Mrs Gallivan had received a six-figure settlement from her divorce and Burnside had worked as her advisor for six weeks before he was sacked. He lied to her, saying the Financial Services Authority had allowed him to keep working.

Burnside, of Nettlehill Road, Uphall Station, West Lothian, was caught by his victim's son who figured out what he had been doing and phoned the police.

Defence lawyer Frazer McCready told the court that Burnside had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle before racking up £40,000 in gambling debts, which he used the stolen money to pay off.

Speaking at an earlier court hearing, Mrs Gallivan said: "I would have retired by now if it weren't for what he's done to me. It was a lot more than £50,000 he took from me as I used to hand him money in cash as well.

"I feel quite foolish now that I fell for it all. He told me lie after lie.

"He has no wife, no expensive house, no expensive cars and no children. He's just been so manipulative.

"I tried looking into criminal injury claims but to no luck. Even if he comes into money later in life, he is viewed as already serving his punishment. It's ridiculous that it works out like that.

"I just want to move on. I'm not going to let him ruin my life."