A fraudster who admitted selling thousands of pounds worth of memorabilia with forged celebrity autographs has avoided jail. Steven Pearson, 51, a former stadium announcer at Portsmouth FC, claimed items were signed by Sir Alf Ramsay, Peter Shilton, and boxer Muhammad Ali. A trading standards manager said he used his "semi-celebrity status" in the city to befriend collectors. He even celebrated on stage with the team after 2008's FA Cup Final victory. Pearson, from Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud and three counts of theft at the city's crown court. A judge sentenced him to 14 months in prison,...
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