Published date: 17 October 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
POLICE lay in wait at the home of an elderly couple to catch cowboy builders who charged more than £9,000 for shoddy workmanship.
When they turned up and one of them demanded more money, officers chased him through the garden and arrested him.
Two other men were found in a red pick up truck nearby. The couple had been left frightened by what the gang had done.
All three were jailed thanks to Operation Orphey launched by North Wales Police after they were alerted by the frightened couple’s family.
The couple aged 73 and 81 from the Caergwrle area were charged £9,000 and a further £3,300 was demanded from them for work to their garage.
It was in fact valued at about £600 but extra money would need to be spent to repair the damage they had caused.
A tearful Michael Connors, of St Albans, Hertfordshire but who had been staying at the Ruthin Road Caravan site at Wrexham - who had a previous conviction for the same type of crime – was jailed for two years.
Todd Wickens, of Erw Llwyd, Rhos, near Wrexham, and Addie Piggott, of the Ruthin Road Caravan site both received 20 months.
Judge Geraint Walters, sitting at Mold Crown Court, told the defendants – who all admitted the fraud between August 31 and September 7 – that they had targeted the couple on the basis of their age and vulnerability.
“Coning the elderly of their hard-earned savings is on any view despicable conduct, which rightly outrages all decent people,” he said.
“The three of you care nothing for that or their plight in your pursuit of money.”
He said the wife, who cared for her husband, had her life changed for ever by their activities.
Judge Walters said that not only would the victims feel hurt by the fact that they had been duped, but they had been frightened of the team of men at their home.
“No doubt they dreaded it each time you came to the door,” he said.
“They did not know how to deal with it. They were on their own.”
They were confronted by a team of much younger men brazingly taking over their home.
“They felt very helpless and scared and there is nothing surprising about that,” he said.
“This woman has been completely affected for good by what you did.”
She had gone from a confident lady who needed help with day to day things.
Barrister Clare Jones, prosecuting, said the couple had lived at the house for 40 years and it was filled with happy memories.
An unknown man went to their door and offered to do work on the garage in the first week of September.
The woman, who looked after her husband, asked for a price and an invoice but four or five men “just seemed to appear” and started work immediately
They cashed for £9,800 in cash, the husband tried to withdraw money but failed because bank staff were suspicious but the wife then withdrew cash over different days and it was handed over to them.
When they turned up and one of them demanded more money, officers chased him through the garden and arrested him.
Two other men were found in a red pick up truck nearby.
The couple had been left frightened by what the gang had done.
Connors, 29, was jailed along with Wickens, 27, and Piggott, 22.
All three were jailed thanks to Operation Orphey launched by North Wales Police after they were alerted by the frightened couple’s family.
The couple, aged 73 and 81, from the Caergwrle area were charged £9,000 and a further £3,300 was demanded from them for work to their garage.
It was in fact valued at about £600 but extra money would need to be spent to repair the damage they had caused.
Judge Geraint Walters, sitting at Mold Crown Court, told the defendants – who all admitted the fraud between August 31 and September 7 – that they had had targeted the couple on the basis of their age and vulnerability.
“Coning the elderly of their hard earned savings is on any view despicable conduct, which rightly outrages all decent people,” he said.
“The three of you care nothing for that or their plight in your pursuit of money.”
He said the wife, who cared for her husband, had her life changed for ever by their activities.
Judge Walters said that not only would the victims feel hurt by the fact that they had been duped, but they had been frightened of the team of men at their home.
“No doubt they dreaded it each time you came to the door,” he said.
“They did not know how to deal with it.
“They were on their own.”
They were confronted by a team of much younger men brazingly taking over their home.
“They felt very helpless and scared and there is nothing surprising about that,” he said.
“This woman has been completely affected for good by what you did.”
She had gone from a confident lady who needed help with day to day things.
Barrister Clare Jones, prosecuting, said the couple had lived at the house for 40 years and it was filled with happy memories.
An unknown man went to their door and offered to do work on the garage in the first week of September.
The woman, who looked after her husband, asked for a price and an invoice but four or five men “just seemed to appear” and started work immediately
They cashed for £9,800 in cash, the husband tried to withdraw money but failed because bank staff were suspicious but the wife then withdrew cash over different days and it was handed over to them.
The couple were frightened, the men were at the house for some days and alerted by concerned family, officers lay in wait at their home.
Connors was caught on CCTV going to the door and asking for a further £3,300 but was chased across the garden and arrested by officers who had been waiting for him.
In a victim impact statement, the wife told how she had been an independent lady, still driving, and cared for her husband.
But since her experience at the hands of the defendants she had to be assisted each day by family members.
She told how she was “sad” that people could take advantage of them in such a way and said she hoped they would think about it in the future because of the effect it had on them.
The victim said that she did not want such a thing to happen to others in the future.
The woman said she was in such a state of anxiety that when she was asked for more money she began to panic thinking how she would pay and forgot that the police were already in her house waiting for the gang.
James Lefroy, for Connors, said his client accepted his responsibility but it was his case that he was a worker being paid a daily wage.
He was staying at the caravan site for a family funeral and was offered some work. Mr Lefroy suggested a suspended sentence for the father of three whose wife was pregnant.
He had £2,000 available for compensation.
Connors cried when the prison sentence was imposed.
Phillip Tully, for Wickens said Andrew Green, for Piggott, said that it was accepted prison sentences would follow.
The judge set a Proceeds of Crime Act timetable to see if money can be confiscated to be returned to the victims.
In a statement after the sentencing hearing, the family of the victims later said: “It is clear that it will take some time for our parents to recover.
They have been very traumatised by the crime.
“Perhaps good can come from this if it spreads the message to trusting people to say no to unknown people offering help at the door.
“In this case, seemingly helpful workers turned aggressive, threatening and frightening.
“Our whole family are extremely grateful to the police for their compassion and the flawless operation they ran.”
Police said the property owners were an elderly couple who had lived in the area for many years.
“They were conned by these individuals and pressured into paying the exorbitant fees from their life savings.
Not content with the substantial amount they initially received the group, fuelled by greed they had then gone back to the address within a short period to try to obtain further monies.
Det Insp Jonathan Russell from North Wales Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “The sentences passed by Judge Geraint Walters confirm that all persons should have the right to feel comfortable and safe within their own homes throughout North Wales, in particular those most vulnerable in our society.
“North Wales Police will tirelessly pursue individuals who seek to exploit, intimidate and commit criminal offences against such vulnerable victims and we welcome the sentences passed today.
“I hope these sentences will go some way to assisting the couple who were targeted in resuming their normal lives.
“I know this crime has had a major impact upon them and this to a couple who have always been trusting and caring to others.”
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/167983/cowboy-builders-jailed-after-targeting-elderly-couple-from-caergwrle-area.aspx
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