A BITTER boyfriend used forged documents to take out a £30,000 loan in his ex-partner's name because she had "p****d him off", a court heard yesterday.

Robert Metcalfe branded his former lover "a stupid and greedy cow" and told police that he did not care what affect his fraud had on her credit rating.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Zoe Armstrong was unable to obtain a mortgage and had to change her name by deed poll to lose her blacklisting.

Sharon Elves, prosecuting, told the court the problems arose when the couple split up soon after they bought a house in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, in 1999.

Miss Armstrong asked Metcalfe to remove her name from the deeds on the property in Farthingale Way, but he refused as their separation became more bitter.

Ten years later, Miss Armstrong discovered that a second charge had been made on the house, and a £30,000 loan had been taken out in their joint names.

When Metcalfe was quizzed by police last year, the 40-year old admitted taking out the loan and signing his former partner's name on supporting documents.

He also confessed to asking his new girlfriend, Angela Hopson, to help by tricking solicitors into providing written confirmation that she was Miss Armstrong.

She paid several visits to the offices of a law firm claiming to be her predecessor, and persuaded staff to provide a certificate of identification to help the loan application.

Hopson, 30, of Cottingham Drive, Middlesbrough, admitted fraud, and Metcalfe pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, two involving fake utility bills.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, told the court that Metcalfe's stubbornness had caused all the problems and he should not have been "so bitter and twisted".

Mr Mochrie said the construction worker had met every payment of the loan, but was now willing to sell the house to help discharge the debt more quickly.

He told Judge George Moorhouse that Hopson would have most to lose by being sent to prison, as she had children - one very young - to look after.

Hopson was given a three month jail term, suspended for 12 months, with supervision.

Metcalfe received a four month prison sentence, suspended for a year, with unpaid work.