Conmen took £100,000 from elderly victims
Two conmen were jailed for a total of nine years on Thursday 30 January 2014 after conning 48 elderly victims out of tens of thousands of pounds.
A third man was given a suspended sentence and ordered to carry out unpaid work.
The trio from Newark, Nottinghamshire, operated across the country and were arrested in Ripon by North Yorkshire Police after a resident became suspicious about the men’s claims and quality of work.
At York Crown Court, William King, 35, of Sandhill Sconce, Tolney Lane, Newark was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment having previously pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by false representation and conspiracy to defraud.
Gavin James Findley, 30, of Elizabeth Road, Newark was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to charges of fraud by false representation and conspiracy to defraud.
Twenty-year-old Todd Berridge of Marshland Drive, Holbeach, Spalding, Lincolnshire was given 12 months’ detention, suspended for 24 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of aiding and abetting King and Findley.
His Honour Judge Shaun Spencer commended the officers who dealt with the case for their professionalism, tenacity and resilience in bringing the case to court. They include Detective Constable Angela Galasso from Devon and Cornwall Police, Detective Constable Lesley Raffan and Detective Sergeant Fionna McEwan, both from North Yorkshire Police.
The gang targeted elderly people living in park mobile home sites in the UK, including residents in Honiton, St Austell, Newquay and Bugle.
In total, 18 offences were committed in Devon and Cornwall, with two in Devon and the rest taking place in Cornwall.
The gang claimed that work needed doing to their property and then went on to quote excessive amounts for this work which was then carried out on the spot. They “traded” under the name of Quality Park Homes and Modern Park Homes.
The conmen took in total, around £100,000 from their unsuspecting and trusting victims all over the country.
In Devon and Cornwall, the amount the conmen were paid by the victims ranged from £300 to £7,000, with the additional cost of remedial work on top, which totalled £3,100 in one case.
Detective Constable Angela Galasso, Exmouth CID, said: “Most of the victims were embarrassed by what had happened and thought that it was an isolated incident, therefore didn’t report it to police initially.
“When we carried out a joint investigation with the Scambusters Team, we realised this was a widespread issue.
“The effect this has had on the victims is immense. It is not just the cost of losing the money but also the cost of rectifying the work and the emotional upset.
“I’m pleased that we’ve found justice for the victims and hope that others feel confident in coming forward.”
A typical scenario involved the suspects offering to insulate the underneath of a chalet for a relatively modest fee of £200 or so. Once underneath the chalet, they claimed to have discovered rotting supports or beams which were in need of replacing. In some instances, they have identified “problems” with the roof.
They also offered to carry out block paving work, operating under the name of King’s Paving. Once they started the work, they claimed further drainage work was required and quoted inflated prices for the work.
The suspects insisted that the victims pay them with cash in advance, and have in some cases escorted their victims to the bank to withdraw the money.
After being paid, the suspects have either not completed the repair work - which was not needed in the first place - or not done the work at all. In some cases they had actually caused damage and then not repaired it.
Any work that was carried out was always to a very low standard with inappropriate materials being used. In some cases, the victims have had to pay for further work to repair the damage caused by the gang.
Police advice to anyone who is approached by cold callers is simply:
• Do not buy anything from them. They may appear charming and will try to talk you into agreeing to the work, but please do not be taken in by them.
• If you need some work doing, always use recommended tradesmen. Speak to trusted friends, neighbours or family and ask them to help you select a company.
• Remember, if you are not sure who is at your door, don’t open it. A genuine caller will not be offended by this.
North Yorkshire Police led the nationwide investigation with assistance from Trading Standards Officers and the South West Scambusters Team.
DC Galasso added: “If anyone else is a victim to a similar offence, even if it feels like a minor incident, please report it to police so we can investigate it and link it to other similar offences in the area.”
