Marco Pierre White Jnr sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £2,500 compensation after using his ex girlfriend’s credit card to help buy drugs
The reality star's lawyer said he was remorseful for his crimes
MARCO Pierre White Jnr has walked free from court after using his girlfriend’s credit card to buy goods to pay for drugs.
But the tattooed Celebrity Big Brother contestant was given a community order to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for fraud by false representation.
Westminster Magistrates Court also ordered him to pay £2,500 compensation, pay costs of £650 and £85 victim surcharge.
Wearing an off-white knitted jumper, black trousers and black loafers and short cut hair, the male model and son of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White spoke only to confirm his name.
Prosecutor Emily Maunders said: "On the 29th of February at about 9:30am this defendant attended the home address of the complainant.
"He is described a dishevelled and asked for some food. She gave the defendant her credit card for the purpose of allowing him to use it to buy food.
"He left her address at 10.30am. The Bank of America contacted the complainant because it had come to their attention there were a high volume of transactions being recorded against her card.
"The defendant then contacted the complainant saying he had been over charged by the bank and needed her to unblock her card to pay off bail because he claimed he had been arrested.
"He hadn't been arrested and didn't need to pay bail. He had then gone on to spend more money in a series of shops".
Marco, 21, turned up at the front door of model Carina Evans in Fulham looking dishevelled, half-dressed and asking for food in February.
She lent him her credit card to buy food and he then convinced her to unblock it to pay for bail after he claimed he had been arrested.
However instead he went shopping and spent £2,500 at the Apple Store, Sunglasses Hut and on Uber cabs.
At a previous hearing she told the court she fears for her safety because of Pierre White Jnr's violent past and his drug problems.
An earlier hearing also head Pierre White had tested positive for cocaine when he was arrested in Bristol.
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The court heard he used the card in the Apple Store, Sunglasses Hut and the Internet House as well as paying for Uber Cabs.
In a statement read out to the court at a previous hearing Ms Evans said: "The money that was dishonestly taken from my account has not been reimbursed.
"I have known him for about a year. A few months ago, I decided to help Marco because I was worried about him.
"I let him stay over and buy food. We were never in a relationship.
"I'm afraid for my safety because I know he can be violent but he has never been violent towards me.
"I fear for his safety because he is unstable due to his drug habit."
Speaking for the defence Brett Weaver: "He recognises that he behaved in an unacceptable manner and his action were extremely foolish and upsetting for the loser.
"He is remorseful for his conduct."
However the district judge Emma Arbuthnot was quick to say: "He doesn't look very remorseful, he was smirking before."
Mr Weaver said his client was indeed remorseful and that between May and August he had entered rehab.
Pierre White Jr. told probation he was no longer using drugs and he was able to pay back the £2,500 to Miss Evans.
Previously there was a dispute between the prosecution and defence over the total amount spent on the card but the judge ruled the final amount was £2,500.
In sentencing Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said: "You pleaded guilty on the first day of trial to using your ex-partner's card for up to £2,500, possibly more, which you used to obtain goods which I assume you then sold to obtain drugs.
"This is a serious offence for which only a community order will do."
In 2011 he received a conditional discharge for a public order offence and in June this year he admitted drug driving and was fined £400 and banned from driving.
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