A MAN who defrauded a South Milford hotel out of more than £300 has been ordered to pay it back.

Selby Magistrates’ Court heard Michael Pemberton, 49, gave the receptionist two separate names when he checked into the Best Western Hotel in Great North Road, South Milford, on the evening of Friday, May 25 this year.

Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, told the court Pemberton, then of no fixed address, gave an accurate mobile phone number and car registration, and his own name, before making the receptionist change his booking to the name Tim Clark. In the confusion, his credit card details were not asked for, and over the next few days, hotel staff repeatedly asked for his details for payment, while he assured them “his company”, TramTax, would take care of it.

Pemberton ran up a bill of £333 over three days, before hotel staff found out the company did not exist, and he had abandoned his belongings at the hotel.

Representing himself, Pemberton told the court he had lived rough for 11 days after he split from his wife in April and “just panicked a little bit”.

He said: “The social services took me in and now I’m just trying to sort my life out a bit.

“It was totally out of character for me, and I’m sorry for doing what I did.”

Magistrates ordered Pemberton to repay the hotel within 12 months.