体坛英语新闻："Fake" Chelsea star jailed for four years

LONDON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- A failed footballer who pretended to be a Chelsea Premier League star has been jailed for four years, local media reported on Wednesday.

Medi Abalimba, 25, posed as Gael Kakuta and spent 20,000 pounds on a spree in Selfridges, stayed at top hotels and even hired a helicopter.

Manchester Crown Court heard Abalimba, of Burton Street, London, once earned 20,000 pounds a week when playing for Derby County but slipped down the leagues due to lack of discipline and commitment.

He called up venues and pretended to be the Chelsea winger before turning up, the court heard.

The former footballer continued living the high life by staying in the best rooms in the finest hotels in London, running up bar tabs of thousands of pounds and being chauffeur-driven around in a Bentley.

He had stints as a professional player with Derby, Oldham Athletic, Southend United, Fulham and Crystal Palace and once commanded a transfer fee of more than one million pounds.

He started a four-year jail term on Wednesday after admitting 12 offenses of fraud and dishonesty, in London, West Yorkshire, Manchester and Derby.

He had 19 other offenses taken into consideration, totaling a loss to those defrauded of 163,000 pounds, the Evening Standard newspaper said.