A MAN who stole the identity of a burglary victim to get thousands of pounds in loans has walked free from court.

Daniel Robertson used documents from the stolen wallet to apply to borrow cash from online lenders.

But after hearing the 25-year-old dad had learned his lesson a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Nick O'Brien, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how a man's wallet was stolen from a house in Marlborough on July 25 last year.

Later that day an application in the man's name was made to borrow money from a company called 118118 Loans but the request was rejected, he said.

Then in October 2014 a firm called Buddy Loans received online applications for advances of £2,000 on two dates, three weeks apart.

Mr O'Brien said the names and bank details of friends and family of Robertson, including his girlfriend and mum, were used for the payments.

Robertson, of Thorney Park, Wroughton, pleaded guilty to fraud and two counts of money laundering.

Cathy Thornton, defending, said: "This defendant has made some steps to change his lifestyle since reluctantly agreeing to become involved in these offences.

"He was living in the Penhill area at the time and was approached by a man called Lee Dommett.

"He was asked if he would assist that man in obtaining money with this stolen driving licence. My client didn't want to become involved, there was some mild intimidation."

She said her client suffers from and anxiety disorder and used his mum's and girlfriend's bank accounts to move the money about.

In the end she said he got £450 from each of the loans with Dommett, who was not charged with an offence, getting £1,000 from each. Dommett is currently in prison for a string of thefts from hotels.

At the time she said he was not working and used the cash to buy some cars with a view to selling them at a profit, but didn't make anything.

She said he was now living in Wroughton with his girlfriend Holly, and their five-year-old son, and was away from previous bad influences.

He has now been offered a job through an agency in the warehouse of DPD Deliveries in Royal Wootton Bassett, the court was told.

Miss Thornton said his girlfriend had two jobs taking him £270 a week topped up with £60 child tax credit.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "You used the personal details of a man who had had his house burgled and you got possession of his personal details.

"People who commit burglaries often do so knowing that there is someone to whom they can take the stolen property and get rid of it quickly.

"I of course bear in mind that you are not being sentence today for handling stolen goods or burglary.

"But in my view the fact that that property had come from a burglary so quickly made this matter particularly serious.

"It seems to me that these are clear signs now that you have learned your lesson and I am going to impose a suspended sentence."

He jailed him for six months suspended for 18 months with 200 hours of unpaid work and supervision.