A 56-year-old conman has been jailed for two years after tricking an elderly couple out of £600 for work on their home he didn’t carry out.
Walter Smith even persuaded the couple, aged in their 90s, to drive him to a Post Office and a bank to withdraw the cash. He never returned to carry out the work.
Walter Smith even persuaded the couple, aged in their 90s, to drive him to a Post Office and a bank to withdraw the cash. He never returned to carry out the work.
REMEMBER: If you a looking for work to be done Sutton Council runs a Safer Trader Scheme - for full details go to SAFER TRADERS
Smith was arrested after he was identified when his image was published in the local press.
On Friday, 15 May 2015 at around 11:00hrs, the couple answered a knock at the door at their home in Woodmansterne Road, Carshalton, to a man who offered to remove bags of garden waste and fix their guttering, which the couple were not aware needed repair.
He asked the couple to drive him in their own vehicle to withdraw the money - £300 from the Beeches Express Post Office, Gordon Road, Carshalton, and £300 from Barclays Bank in Wallington Town Centre.
Having pocketed the £600, Smith said he would return on Monday, 18 May to do the work but failed to do so.
Police issued a public appeal with a CCTV image on Monday, 1 June, 2015 which was published the same day on the Sutton Guardian website. Smith was identified by a member of the public and he was arrested.
At Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday, 31 May, the elderly couple attended Court to hear Walter Smith, (dob: 19.02.1960), of Park Lane East, Reigate, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation in Carshalton and to a burglary in Surrey in August 2015. He was ordered to pay £600 compensation for the fraud.
Det Supt Fran Smith, of Sutton Police station, said: “This case highlights how valuable the local press in Sutton can be in assisting the Met Police in catching criminals. We would like to thank the Sutton Guardian for their help in publicising our appeals for information which on this occasion has led to a man who preyed on elderly and vulnerable people being charged and brought to justice. We would not have had this result without the Sutton Guardian’s help and the member of the public who came forward to help us.”
Smith was arrested after he was identified when his image was published in the local press.
On Friday, 15 May 2015 at around 11:00hrs, the couple answered a knock at the door at their home in Woodmansterne Road, Carshalton, to a man who offered to remove bags of garden waste and fix their guttering, which the couple were not aware needed repair.
He asked the couple to drive him in their own vehicle to withdraw the money - £300 from the Beeches Express Post Office, Gordon Road, Carshalton, and £300 from Barclays Bank in Wallington Town Centre.
Having pocketed the £600, Smith said he would return on Monday, 18 May to do the work but failed to do so.
Police issued a public appeal with a CCTV image on Monday, 1 June, 2015 which was published the same day on the Sutton Guardian website. Smith was identified by a member of the public and he was arrested.
At Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday, 31 May, the elderly couple attended Court to hear Walter Smith, (dob: 19.02.1960), of Park Lane East, Reigate, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation in Carshalton and to a burglary in Surrey in August 2015. He was ordered to pay £600 compensation for the fraud.
Det Supt Fran Smith, of Sutton Police station, said: “This case highlights how valuable the local press in Sutton can be in assisting the Met Police in catching criminals. We would like to thank the Sutton Guardian for their help in publicising our appeals for information which on this occasion has led to a man who preyed on elderly and vulnerable people being charged and brought to justice. We would not have had this result without the Sutton Guardian’s help and the member of the public who came forward to help us.”