A NOTORIOUS Suffolk conman who has spent most of his adult life behind bars has been jailed for 13 months after admitting his 158th offence.

David Aves, who once got out of prison by forging release papers, was released from his latest prison sentence on September 27 last year but a week later was back to his old ways, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, described how Aves pretended to be the owner of three vehicles and sold them to an unsuspecting buyer for a total of £9,000.

The money was paid into Aves’ bank account but the buyer never received any of the vehicles.

Aves, 54, of Freewood Street, Bradfield St George, admitted one offence of fraud by falsely representing to Mindaugas Virketis that he was the owner of a Kubota KX 71, a Mercedes Vito and a JCB and was entitled to sell them.

Jailing him for 13 months, Judge John Devaux said Aves had committed the latest fraud within days of his release from prison last September.

He said Aves had 157 previous convictions dating back to 1976, most of which were for dishonesty.

He said a range of sentences had been passed including probation.

“You have proved yourself ingenious and resourceful in the past and your present offending shows little sign there has been any diminution in your behaviour,” said the judge.

Katherine Moore, for Aves, said her client had spent most of his adult life in prison.

She said his mother had recently died and his deteriorating health had resulted in several trips to hospital where he had undergone tests.

She said that although Aves had been resourceful in deceiving the authorities in the past there was no reason to doubt the accuracy of information contained in medical reports about his current state of health.