A father and son duo who swindled vulnerable and elderly victims out of £71,520 in a “cold-hearted” building con have been jailed.
Dad-of-six Jeffery Tawse, 52, and his son James, 25, carried out shoddy driveway repairs for elderly customers before demanding money from them.
In some cases they marched their victims to the nearest cash machine to withdraw the money and became aggressive and abusive if they dared to refuse.
The most severe instance was when they fleeced £64,500 from a vulnerable man who had suffered memory loss due to a cycling accident.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the pair, from Rumney , Cardiff , operated under various business names including South West Power Washing and Premier Drives.
They cold-called their victims and told them they could repair their drives for a fee.
Prosecutor Lee Reynolds said they used “aggressive sales techniques and intimidation” and the work, if done at all, was “done to a poor standard”.
Gave fake details
The rogue builders often charged extra for a special weed-proof sealant to keep the drive shiny – but when tested the mixture turned out to be salt water, which has no effect whatsoever.
Sometimes they even damaged the customers’ property by filling sand between paving slabs, which caused the bricks to crack when it rained.
If the customers or their families tried to call the pair up to complain they were directed to a fake number.
In the unlikely event they did get through they received a torrent of abuse, the court heard.
A 71-year-old man referred to as “Mr P” was conned out of £64,500 when the Tawses pretended to do some work for him.
Mr P suffered from serious cognitive difficulties after a cycling accident and was paid a large sum of money in compensation, the court heard.
His bank called police after they noticed unusual activity on his account and a search of his home found notes referring to the work – but Mr P cannot remember any of it.
Mr Reynolds said all that could be found was “a small wall which appeared to have been built”.
He added: “The workmanship was truly appalling and it had to be demolished.”
In another case Tawse Snr worked on an 83-year-old woman’s roof without her knowledge and demanded £600 payment when she returned home.
She said she was scared to refuse him the money in case he became violent but was left feeling angry and foolish, the court heard.
'Cold-blooded, heartless, and even pitiless'
Judge David Wynn Morgan said: “You targeted the elderly and the vulnerable. At least one of your victims had short-term memory issues or was disabled.
“There was evidence that you were rude to your victims when they had the temerity to complain and they were subjected to your foul temper.
“You identified and preyed upon vulnerable people in a cold-blooded, heartless, and even pitiless way.
“There is something insensate and even inhuman about the way that you operated.”
Both men admitted a single charge of conspiracy to defraud while Tawse Snr also pleaded guilty to a charge of money laundering.
In respect of that charge the court heard how at one stage Tawse Snr hid £48,500 in his eight-year-old grandson’s bank account.
Tawse Jnr was jailed for two years and ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge while his father was jailed for four years for the fraud charge and two years for the money laundering charge, with the terms to run consecutively.
He must also pay a £170 victim surcharge.
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