A 23-year-old man who conned money from the relatives of dead people has been told he could face jail.

Cunning Lord Bowman, pictured, of Back Fold, Clayton, also pleaded guilty to another conspiracy charge as he appeared at Bradford Crown Court for trial.

The court heard he and his brother Robert, 33, conned people between January and September 1996 into believing they could supply equipment which would allow them to decode and receive satellite broadcasts.

They also deceived the relatives and loved ones of dead people into giving them money, claiming the deceased owed money for Bibles bought before their death.

Robert Bowman, of Towngate, Wyke, pleaded guilty to both charges at a hearing in January but has since jumped bail.

Lord Bowman pleaded guilty to the Bible con in January and to supplying satellite decoders when he appeared for trial yesterday.

The court was told that, in May and June of 1998, a fictitious Christian company, trading as The Christian Bookshop, sent false invoices to the estates of dead people charging for the New Testament Bible at £14.99 and Jesus of the Holy Land at £9.99.

The whistle was blown when relatives and solicitors complained to trading standards officers in West Sussex that the books had not been ordered or received. West Yorkshire Trading Standards received around 16 complaints from colleagues in other parts of the country and from solicitors acting on behalf of the estates of the dead people.

At the time, spokesman Graham Hebblethwaite said somebody had read the London Gazette for details of estates and firms of solicitors, and sent out invoices demanding payment.

After yesterday's hearing he said: "The Bible scam was a despicable attempt at obtaining money by deception and preying on victims already suffering a loss of partner or loved one. This invoice was likely to go unchecked because people would just assume it was another bill for the estate.

"It's pleasing that something has finally come to fruition."

The case was adjourned for three weeks for the preparation of an up-dated report by the probation service.

Judge Wolstenholme said: "All options are open including a custodial sentence."

Bowman is expected to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court sometime after August 20 whether his brother is arrested or not.