A CONMAN who stole more than £34,000 from Muslims hoping to make a pilgrimage to Mecca has been jailed for 30 months.

Married father-of-four Mudassir Shaheen hung his head in the dock at Bolton Crown Court as Judge Graeme Smith told him that the money he took from individuals and families to pay for their non-existent Hajj trips had had a serious impact on his victims.

Judge Smith said: "This is not simply the same as any member of the public deciding to go on holiday. It is seen as a religious obligation.

“I regret it seems to me you will say anything you need to say to avoid taking responsibility for what happened.”

Last month 38-year-old Shaheen, of Green Lane, Bolton, was convicted of 10 counts of theft following a trial.

Shaheen had claimed he had only been acting as a middle man for a travel company and had paid the money he received from his victims to accommodation and transport providers in Saudi Arabia.

But no records of any such transactions were found.

Shaheen was already on bail for similar offences, which turned out to be bad business practices rather than crimes, when he started stealing from devout Muslims over an eight month period starting in April 2013.

Shaheen placed television adverts, using the name Karwan al Madina Travel, on the Sky based Ummah Channel offering Hajj pilgrimages and was contacted by potential customers from around the UK.

A total of 10 people transferred cash to him expecting their trips, which never materialised.

Andrew Macintosh, prosecuting, said a similarly named, but unrelated, company based in Halifax had their reputation damaged, having to take out their own adverts informing the public that they were not responsible.

Shaheen Akhtar, one victim who was hoping to go to Mecca, told the court: “I am very depressed and losing sleep. I cannot believe a Muslim would cheat another Muslim.

“This is not just about the money, it is also a matter of faith. The people who have taken my money have taken advantage of my beliefs and trust.”

In total the victims lost £34,250 to Shaheen, but the court was told he had not spent it on luxuries.

Soheil Khan, defending, said: “I accept fully he had the benefit of the money that was improperly obtained.

“It was spent at Sainsbury’s, it was spent on paying the bills, it was spent on ordinary, everyday living.

“This is not a case of this man stealing the money and spending it on any sort of lavish lifestyle.”

He added that Shaheen had been well respected in the community, having come to work in the UK 20 years ago.

He is a single parent bringing up his sons, aged seven and nine, while his wife cares for their two daughters in Pakistan.

Mr Khan added that Shaheen also has health problems, suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

Listening to proceedings with the help of an interpreter, Shaheen was told by Judge Smith: “I regret the impact on your two sons, who will have to stay with other family members, but that is an inevitable consequence of the circumstances.”

Following the sentencing Det Const Laura Watson, from Greater Manchester Police’s fraud investigation unit, said: “The pilgrimage to Mecca is a religious event of huge significance and one that all Muslims, if physically able to do so, must make at least once in their lifetime.

“The impact of this fraud on the victims has been huge.

“Many of them are elderly, or retired, and will struggle to afford to pay for another trip with a reputable company.

“Others have expressed their sadness and shame that someone has exploited their faith and their trust in this way.

“Shaheen has been utterly shameless and unapologetic, refusing to plead guilty and taking this to a full trial, despite the fact that the money has been paid directly into his bank account.

“He then used that money to fund his own lifestyle, paying absolutely no regard for the welfare of the families as he spent their money on his own selfish needs."

Rashid Mogradia, chief executive of Hajj pilgrim welfare charity The Council of British Hajjis, based in St Helens Road, Deane, said: “We campaign to raise awareness of unscrupulous Hajj tour operators and get people to avoid them and book with reputable companies.

“There have been cases over the last few years where Trading Standards have undertaken to prosecute unscrupulous Hajj tour operators and courts have fined them between £14,000 to £70,000 but what is different in this case is the judge looks as though he has set a precedent by imposing a custodial sentence.

“It focuses eyes on the industry and this will send out a message that the law will come down on them.

“Victim compensation is going to crucial in this case and we hope the victims get their money back.

“It’s difficult when people put trust in other people in the community who are offering these enticing low prices and we urge people to do their research.

“First of all, we recommend people should be booking with licensed ATOL operators so their bookings are protected.

“Secondly, customers should be looking whether a company is a Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj-licensed operator.”

The Council of British Hajjis has a list of trusted Hajj operators that can be found at www.cbhuk.org