Medi Abalimba, a failed footballer who pretended to be Chelsea player Gael Kakuta has been jailed for four years for fraud amounting to £163,000.
Abalimba, who we encountered previously, had once played for Derby County's youth team but fell out of the game due to an apparent lack of discipline and commitment.
Manchester crown court heard that Abalimba kept up his footballer lifestyle by passing himself off as Gael Kakuta, staying in the finest hotels, runnign up massive bar tabs and arranging for a chauffeur-driven Bentley to drive him around.
Abalimba would call ahead to nightclubs, warning them that a VIP was to arrive, with an entourage of bodyguards and sometimes women. His extravagances, including spending thousands of pounds on champagne, were paid for using stolen credit card details.
Abalimba pleaded guilty to 12 counts of fraud and dishonesty. 19 other offences were taken into consideration, which amounted to £163,000 lost by those he defrauded.
[guardian]
