A BUSINESSMAN who married in Las Vegas came back with a gambling addiction and spent more than £15,000 on his wife's credit card.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Ian Newton, 32, of Bower Close, Mill Hill, Blackburn, visited casinos and gambled on the internet, running up a £3,500 debt on his own card before using his bride's plastic.

His wife Emma, who is standing by him, did not know about the spending because she was working nights and he intercepted phone calls and mail, the court was told.

But she shopped him to police when she found out.

The court heard that before he went to Las Vegas Newton had no problem with gambling.

Newton pleaded guilty to obtaining property by deception. He was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and pay £1,000 compensation.

Speaking after the case, Newton, who ran his own business making stain glass windows, told of how his gambling spiralled.

He said: "I lost my job in July and it just started from there.

"We lost a £30,000 pound contract to China.

"After I got married last August I tried to bring in an income in October and it went from bad to worse.

"I started on the internet but I won money on there. The losing started when I went to the casinos "It's hard to stop. Its an addiction once you start it there's no getting out. You have to ask for help.

"I rang up Gamcare (an organisation that helps people with gambling addictions) and the Probation Service is helping me.

"I made a mistake and am now paying for it.

"My wife is supporting me and I am trying to get my business back up again."

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said the first Mrs Newton knew about her husband using her credit card was when she received a phone call from the bank.

Mr Harrison said: "She had held the visa account for about 10 years and only used it for buying Christmas and birthday presents and holidays.

"The last balance she was aware of was a debit of £359 but she was told there was now a debt of £15,889.

"She thought there must have been some mistake but when she came off the phone and spoke to the defendant he immediately admitted what he had done."

Basharat Ditta, defending, told how the couple had gone to Las Vegas to get married.

He said: "Before he went to what is known as the gambling capital of the world there was no problem with gambling.

"Initially he used his own credit card but kept that secret from his wife.

"By pure chance he found his wife's credit card and funded his gambling with that.

"He had some initial success but then started to lose and the more he tried to win back the money the less successful he was."

Mr Ditta said Newton was deeply ashamed of what he had done.

He added: "His wife is standing by him.

"It has been very difficult, there has been a serious breach of trust, but they are working through it."