James Douglas Paynter, 42, of Cedrela Street, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of dishonestly ­obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Paynter, who appeared in court via audio ­visual link, also pleaded guilty to five charges of obtaining property by deception and five counts of making a false document to obtain financial advantage.

He did not apply for bail and was jailed by magistrate Michael Morahan, to serve six months behind bars before he can apply for parole.

The court heard he had taken money from would-be buyers, but victims who were owed a total of about $60,000 had never received their vehicles.

Mr Morahan told Paynter: “You have ripped off a lot of people.

“We cannot continue to have people going around and ripping them off in the way you did.”

The court was told Paynter had been charged with offences in 2013 and had been handed down two good behaviour bonds at that time.

He was on bail in February this year, but had continued to commit offences.

The vehicles Paynter advertised on the Gumtree website were a 1993 Toyota Hilux twin cab 2.8 litre diesel and a 1991 Toyota Hilux 2.4 litre diesel.

Police documents tendered to the court said Paynter had frequently refused to take holding deposits for vehicles, insisting on full payments being made into his bank account.

“Police commenced an investigation into a number of inquiries about the ­identity of a person placing Gumtree advertisements for vehicles in the name of James Paynter,” the court was told.

“At an address in Forest Hill Drive, Oakhampton Heights, elderly residents told police a large number of people had turned up there in an attempt to claim items they had bought on the Gumtree website.”

Paynter had admitted receiving money from victims for vehicles advertised on that website.

He was arrested after going to Maitland police station as had been arranged and said he had to disconnect his telephone after receiving death threats.