A middleman scammed £25,000 as he sold a pub landlord’s company to a builder.

But after hearing that Michael Keeling had funds to pay compensation, Judge Peter Crabtree gave the 37-year-old three weeks to start paying back the cash.

Adjourning sentence until December 4, the judge said: “These are serious offences, the starting point in my view is three years in custody. I’d have to take into account all of the mitigation.

“What goes to remorse is positive steps that have been taken in payment and the most positive steps that can be made is the payment to [Robert] Leaney what he is owed by your fraud.”

Earlier, Swindon Crown Court heard Bampton man Keeling had acted as a middle man in the sale of Melksham firm Multi Pave.

Then director of the company David Gibbons, also the landlord of the New Inn, Melksham, told Keeling in late 2018 he was considering selling-up. Keeling, who was known to Mr Gibbons through the building trade, said he knew someone who might be interested.

That man, Robert Leaney, had also known Keeling for a number of years.

Keeling acted as a middle man between Mr Gibbons and Mr Leaney – who never met while the sale was being negotiated.

Prosecutor Susan Cavender said: “The defendant told Mr Leaney that Mr Gibbons did not want to meet him and described Mr Gibbons as having rather a short fuse.”

Keeling told the seller, Mr Gibbons, that he’d negotiated a price of £21,000 – while the would-be purchaser, Mr Leaney, was told the price was £45,000.

In November and December, Mr Leaney transferred the asked-for sum into bank accounts, including a final £16,000 paid directly to Keeling. Mr Gibbons was given £20,000 – £1,000 less than he had expected.

Ms Cavender said: “By January 2019 the deal had been completed and over the next few months Mr Leaney became more and more suspicious of Keeling’s behaviour.”

In mid-February, Mr Leaney met Mr Gibbons at the latter’s Melksham pub. “Once they got chatting and talked about the purchase price, they realised Mr Gibbons had only received £20,000 for the sale.” Mr Leaney generously paid over the outstanding £1,000 there and then.

They later discovered Mr Gibbons’ signature on the sale agreement had been forged.

Mr Leaney confronted the middleman, who claimed he had paid the full amount. But Keeling’s account changed when he was interviewed by the police in March, when he said he’d kept £16,000 for himself.

Keeling, of Weald, Bampton, pleaded guilty to fraud at an earlier hearing.