Conman: John Cronin

A conman who ripped off three Birmingham-Irish retailers has been jailed in Ireland after writing a £100,000 bogus cheque for a charity.
John Cronin, once described in the Scottish High Court as "Walter Mitty gone mad", also has a string of convictions for more serious matters, including a serious sexual assault and armed robbery.
The Scottish native, whose father comes from Limerick, gained the confidence of Pat Brennan, who runs Brennan's Irish Store in York Road, Kings Heath, John Fitzgerald of Minstrel Music at the Birmingham Irish Club and Jonnie Bourke of Bourke's Stores in Stratford Road, Sparkbrook.
In January the fraudster wrote bogus cheques for Mr Brennan and Mr Bourke for goods obtained in the shops. Items bought included groceries, plaques, pictures, cigarettes and whiskey.
In the case of Minstrel Music Mr Fitzgerald gave him goods, including crystal, CDs and jewellery, in good faith, after he assured him he was a partner in The Hagley Court Hotel.
In all the cases he gained the confidence of the traders by claiming to be related to someone they knew, or having a mutual friend.
The cheques he wrote bounced, prompting one of the swindled businessmen to try and trace him.
Pat Brennan discovered Cronin, aged 34, had been convicted of drink driving in Birmingham last year but when he went to the address he gave the court he found he did not live there.
He had given up hope of him being found until John Fitzgerald told him he had read a report in an Irish newspaper that Cronin was up to his old tricks.
He had donated a cheque to a charity called Limerick Animal Welfare, claiming he was a top barrister who had terminal cancer and wanted to give money away to a worthy cause. He also claimed to be a councillor and a former Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
But his deceit was brought to an abrupt halt after the charity raised the alarm when officials discovered the cheque was bogus.
The Gardai apprehended him boarding a train at Colbert station in Limerick a few days later. With a degree of swiftness not generally seen in any legal system he was brought before Limerick District Court and jailed for two months.
The Birmingham traders are now hoping he will now be brought back to face the music in Birmingham after he serves his sentence.
Mr Brennan said: "He is a bit of a boyyo and can certainly spill some spiel. He has convictions for sexual assault, fraud, robbery and arson and even for celebrating mass at a cathedral in Edinburgh. He even continued to lie in court."
Mr Brennan originally complained to Kings Heath police about Cronin.
"Whether he is going to be brought back here or not I don't know but I imagine the police here would like to get him back to face charges. It is disturbing to think a guy can go around doing this sort of thing. He seemed to target Irish people more than anyone else, taking advantage of the trust and generosity of Irish people. It is a bit nasty of him.
"If he doesn't come back to face the music, will he be free to still go around with a chequebook in his pocket doing this sort of thing again."