Stuart Gladstone Durham, 42, of Warwick, admitted in Magistrates' Court on Monday to stealing and falsely obtaining nearly $19,000 in cash to support his drug habit. An incorrect name appeared in an article yesterday.

A con man is to be sentenced on January 12 after he admitted to stealing and falsely obtaining nearly $19,000 in cash to support his drug habit.

Stuart Gladstone Trott, 42, of Tribe Road 5, Warwick, pleaded guilty to 12 charges on Monday before Magistrate the Wor. Cheryl Ann Mapp. She asked for a social inquiry report.

Trott admitted to a variety of scams to support what he admitted was a serious drug addiction.

He took money from people for car repairs and never fixed the cars.

In two cases, he accepted rent for apartments that did not exist.

And in another case, he accepted $6,587 to pay for a car which he did not own and the "buyer'' never received.

In addition to the 12 charges to which he pleaded guilty, Trott asked the court to take another eight similar cases into consideration, said Insp. Peter Duffy, the Police Prosecutor.

In one set of cases, Trott pleaded guilty to six offences committed between March 8 and July 21. The five thefts and one count of false pretences involved $10,788.50, of which only $380 was recovered.

In another set of cases, Trott admitted to five more thefts and one more count of false pretences, these ones occurring between September 6 and November 21.

Together with eight similar offences he asked the court to take into consideration, they involved a total of $7,976.

It is understood Trott will face further charges as more victims come forward with complaints.