A CROOKED Ministry of Defence worker who submitted false overtime claims with an elaborate fraud while working at Faslane could be jailed for up to a year.

Conman Kenneth Maltman, 40, pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court this week to obtaining almost £29,500 by fraudulent means over a period of 14 months.

Maltman, formerly of James Street in Helensburgh, pleaded guilty as libelled to a single charge of fraud when he appeared before Sheriff John Hamilton on Tuesday.

Shamefaced Maltman sat motionless in the dock as defence lawyer Tom Brown intimated to the court that his client wanted to plead guilty to the offence at the earliest possible opportunity.

Maltman then stood as the sheriff read out the full charge and asked him to confirm that it was the case that he was pleading guilty.

In a quiet voice, Maltman replied: “Yes.”

Fraudster Maltman carried out the pre-meditated crime between April 1, 2013 and June 3, 2014, at the General Services Building, at HM Naval Base Clyde.

Procurator fiscal depute Emma Thomson told the court that Maltman had pretended to employees of Defence Business Services, Cheadle Hu'me, that he had worked overtime during the period in question and was entitled to payment.

But the truth was that Maltman had not worked the overtime he claimed, and instead induced the Ministry of Defence to pay him a total of £29,497, which he obtained by fraud.

At Tuesday’s hearing Sheriff Hamilton was also told that the case had originally been prosecuted on an indictment, which could have carried a jail term of up to five years.

But prior to Maltman’s court appearance the Crown opted to reduce the case to a summary matter – reducing the sheriff’s sentencing powers to a maximum one-year prison sentence.

Maltman’s defence lawyer told the sheriff that his client, who now stays at Colquhoun Road, Milton, Dumbarton, appeared as a first offender with no previous convictions.

Mr Brown said: “This is clearly a case which will require background reports and I would ask the court that my client be allowed to remain at liberty meantime to allow those reports to be prepared.”

Sheriff Hamilton deferred sentence on Maltman until April 4 to obtain background reports.

The case comes just a few months after another Faslane worker admitted defrauding the MoD.

Matthew Cassidy, 25, was spared prison after he pleaded guilty to obtaining £19,000 by fraud between August 2014 and February 2016 by submitting false expense claims for training courses.

An MoD spokeswoman told the Advertiser: “We expect our staff to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and any abuse of the system will result in disciplinary action or criminal proceedings.”