A FORMER law firm worker is facing jail after admitting conning her friends and family out of nearly a quarter-of-a-million pounds in an Apple gadget fraud.

Erskine woman Nicola Eccleson told lifelong friends, family and friends of her relatives that she could get iPhones, iPads and iPods for as little as £100.

Eccleson, 36, claimed she was entitled to discounts on the expensive electronics through her role as a legal secretary at Glasgow law firm TLT Solicitors – a £20,000-a-year job.

But the discounts did not exist – and she boasted she “felt like an Apple delivery driver” as she duped her victims.

Eccleson took small amounts of money from a few customers and delivered the items they had requested – prompting them, and others, to pay her tens of thousands of pounds for more gadgets.

But she took their money, failed to deliver all of the goods and did not give full refunds, in a scam which saw her con her victims out of a total of £237,885.

The details emerged last week when Eccleson appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court.

She pleaded guilty to obtaining the money by forming a fraudulent scheme between August 1, 2012, and August 31, 2013, by telling her victims she “could supply them with various electronic products at discounted prices.”

Procurator fiscal depute Scot Dignan explained: “The complainers in this case are all known to the accused – they are either friends, family or friends of family.

“The accused at this time was earning £1,700 a month and her husband was earning something similar.

“She was in full-time employment at her former workplace, TLT Solicitors in West George Street in Glasgow.

“The accused was sending text messages or emails to friends indicating she was able to get electrical goods, namely Apple products, at discounted rates on a scheme run by her employers at the time, TLT Solicitors, often referred to as a ‘friends and family’ scheme.”

Jacqueline Allan, who had been a friend of Eccleson for a number of years, gave her £295 for an Apple product and – after she “received the desired item” – decided to invest further.

She handed over an extra £10,835 in cash to Eccleson, but never received any other Apple products and did not get a refund.

And she told lifelong friend Elaine McQueen in an email that she “felt like an Apple delivery driver” before taking a £750 order which she fulfilled - convincing McQueen to hand over £10,000 in cash for items she has never received or been reimbursed for.

Another of Eccleson’s friends, Kirsty Huddlestone, handed over £4,750 for a load of items which she received – prompting her to give Eccleson another £38,700.

But, despite their long friendship, Eccleson took her money, never gave her the items she thought she was buying and has never given her a penny back.

Mr Dignan, prosecuting, said Alan Dickson and his father Edward Dickson, 65, “invested £32,000 or thereabouts in this particular scheme being offered by the accused” - but never received a single iPhone, iPod or iPad, or a penny in refunds.

Claire McCondichie, a “close friend of the accused who had known her for a number of years” handed over £11,135 but did not receive any products or a refund.

McCondichie’s sister, Michelle McGrory, lost £18,700 after giving Eccleson £31,200 and getting a £12,500 refund.

Claire’s dad, Douglas McCondichie, invested £12,800, but was never given any items or any cash back, while Simon Wynne handed over £24,100 “of which he was expecting Apple products, but received no items and no refunds.”

Nichola McKay, who had been a friend of Eccleson for years, was duped after her supposed pal emailed her to say she could get “Apple products at discounted prices” and lost £11,500.

Irene Girvan gave Eccleson £1,400, never got what she paid for but was given a £1,000 refund,.

And Eccleson also conned her brother’s best friend, Richard Brown, telling him she could get a “50%-off deal.”

He handed over £14,720, received some items and a £750 refund - leaving him £8,148 out-of-pocket.

It’s understood Allan, McQueen, the McCondichies, McKay, McGrory, the Dicksons, Hiddlestone and Brown are all from Erskine.

Eccleson’s husband’s uncle, Charles Godfard, was also duped out of £28,700 after believing she “could get any Apple product for £100.”

Paul Marshall was the last of Eccleson’s victims in the year-long scam - handing over £4,000 and never receiving any Apple products or a refund.

Eccleson’s scheme began to unravel on August 12, 2013, when Thomas McEntegart, the head of TLT Solicitors, received a phone call from someone to ask about her.

He said the company were unaware of her scheme and advised any victims to contact the police – leading to some of her victims reporting the matter.

Des Finnieston, representing Eccleson, said that, despite the huge sum of money she conned out of her victims, she did not benefit from her crime.

The Solicitor Advocate, who has been a lawyer for over 35 years, explained: “She’s never been in any trouble.

“This is not a straightforward case and there are certain unusual factors to it, in my experience.

“While it is accepted people have had losses there has been no material gain made by my client.”

Sheriff David Pender called for Eccleson to be assessed by social workers ahead of sentencing next month and continued bail.

Eccleson fled Erskine after her scheme came to light and now lives in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

It’s thought she never profited from her crime as she bought items at full price which she then passed on to previous investors.

She is due to be sentenced next month and could be caged for as long as five years when she returns to the dock to learn her fate.