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A fraudster who ripped off a dead Saudi prince by stealing his £93,000 sports car has been jailed.
Ozgur Gun, 41, who used to live in Canterbury, claimed he was friends with Prince Badir Al Saud when he died suddenly, and only took his Mercedes-Benz S500 to settle an old debt.
But a judge branded Gun’s claims “fantastical” and jailed the 41-year-old for three years and three months at Canterbury Crown Court.
When Prince Al Saud died after a heart attack in Saudi Arabia on Christmas Eve in 2016, Gun learned his Mercedez was stored in an expensive London lock-up.
Using fraudulent papers, the schemer tried duping the German manufacturer into believing the Mercedez was his, under a fake name.
With the paperwork complete, Gun visited the capital to claim the prince’s car, only to be arrested.
Since then, the Turkish national has admitted fraud by false representation but still argued he was entitled to the vehicle.
But Judge Mark Weekes last month ruled the debt had not existed and Gun “lied repeatedly under oath”.
Earlier this week, prosecutor Caroline Knight unveiled Gun’s chequered history.
The convicted people smuggler has previously been sentenced on two separate occasions for a total of seven years.
Mitigating, Gun’s barrister argued her client’s last conviction was in 2008, and: “although he hasn’t covered himself in glory they are all very old offences.”
She added Gun was struggling to make ends meet at the time of the 2017 offence, then pointed out his fraud had been publicly scrutinised after appearing on KentOnline.
Yet Judge Weekes told Gun: “This was in my judgement an offence that included a significant amount of planning and this was fraudulent activity conducted over a sustained period of time.
"The fraud had been reported in the media and the shame that goes with the conviction is inevitable.
“I must say that is of lightweight.
"The crime was of your making.”
Gun, now of Eastgate Street, Gloucester, was convicted of fraud by false representation.
In a previous hearing Gun told Judge Weekes he met Prince Al Saud through mutual friend ‘Faisal’, outside his family's snooker hall Cousins in Lower Bridge Street, Canterbury.
He told the court the prince showered his friends with thousands of pounds of champagne at all-night parties and strip bars - not drinking himself - even handing one pal the keys to his £90,000 luxury car.
He argued he had raved in Canterbury’s Loft Bar with the prince, hung out in the city centre for coffee, and relaxed at the snooker hall which Gun used to own.
He claimed he owned six nightspots at the time, and would often lend gambling addict Faisal money, with the debt soon spiralling to £35,000.
Gun claimed the prince, who had apparently been studying in London, vowed to act as guarantor for Faisal’s debt. But when Faisal disappeared the prince offered him the Mercedes by way of payment, but Gun refused.
Gun also told Judge Weekes the prince would talk about attractive women, they would snap each other in pictures, and he would ride in the prince's £93,000 Mercedes-Benz S500.
But the luxurious escapades were all part of Gun's fantasy, after ripping-off the dead royal in the elaborate DVLA fraud.
Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Keith Rochford, of Kent Police, said: "Nothing Ozgur Gun has done has been genuine, from his fake name to his claims about the victim, so I am glad the court saw him for what he is, which is a callous fraudster.
"Let us not forget, the victim’s family have had to deal with not only the grief of losing someone dear to them, but also the selfish and greedy actions of Gun.
"I thank them for their support during the investigation and court case and my thoughts are with them."
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