Conman who faked injured horse to cheat pub landlord jailed for 30 months
A habitual conman who posed as a distinguished former cavalry officer to swindle a trusting publican was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment at Winchester Crown Court in 1988.
William Macdonald, 50, exploited the generosity of Peter Curtis, owner of The White Hart pub in Stockbridge, by spinning an elaborate tale about a horse injured during prestigious trials at nearby Kings Somborne, just three miles away in the Hampshire countryside.
The Elaborate Deception
Curtis, who had purchased The White Hart in 1976 and converted its former stables into guest accommodation, welcomed Macdonald as a guest when he arrived claiming to be attending the equestrian event. Macdonald presented himself as a member of the Household Cavalry, one of the British Army's most senior regiments comprising the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, units with distinguished histories dating to the 1660s that maintained both ceremonial and operational roles at the time.
The deception unfolded when Macdonald returned from the trials claiming his horse had sustained serious injuries and required ten days of veterinary care before it could be moved. Curtis, believing the distressed horseman, extended his stay and arranged daily taxi services so Macdonald could visit his supposedly injured animal.
When Macdonald claimed financial difficulties, the sympathetic landlord lent him £100 for expenses. In return, Macdonald ingratiated himself with Curtis and his family, buying rounds at the bar and bringing fresh salmon from local shops.
The Escape and Discovery
The charade ended abruptly when Macdonald announced his horse had recovered sufficiently to travel home. Instead of settling his mounting bill, he slipped out through the back door, stealing Curtis's credit card and other documents on his way out. The publican's shock turned to anger when he realized Macdonald's interest in horses extended only to the racetrack and betting slips.
Curtis was far from Macdonald's only victim. Police discovered the Scotsman had swindled several others across southern England using similar schemes. His arrest came by chance when he walked out of a betting shop directly into one of his previous victims.
The Court Case
At Winchester Crown Court, which has handled serious criminal cases for Hampshire since 1971, Macdonald admitted two charges of deception and one of theft. He requested that 30 additional similar offenses be taken into consideration, revealing a pattern of calculated fraud.
The court heard Macdonald possessed 35 previous convictions. Judge Nathaniel Blaker delivered a stern rebuke:
"While you are at large, the public will be preyed upon and you are not going to do so for a considerable period of time."
Defense counsel Richard Harper explained that Macdonald had genuinely served with the Household Cavalry but his life deteriorated following his father's death. He also suffered health problems and saw his career prospects destroyed after an accident while working as a farrier, a highly skilled and legally regulated profession in the UK requiring approximately four years of apprenticeship training under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975.
The combination of blacksmithing expertise and veterinary knowledge required for farriery made it a demanding profession to master, and the accident had eliminated Macdonald's ability to practice his trade legally. Despite this mitigation, Judge Blaker imposed the 30-month sentence to protect the public from further predatory behavior.
