A 43-year-old man was described by a Judge as 'despicable' after he talked two elderly residents into repair work on their homes - only to steal £100 cash from one of them and to take £240 from another resident for work he didn't even start.
John Ridgley, aged 43, (dob: 11.04.1972), of Revere Way, Epsom, was sentenced to a total of five years' imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, 4 April.
John Ridgley, aged 43, (dob: 11.04.1972), of Revere Way, Epsom, was sentenced to a total of five years' imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, 4 April.
The Judge described Ridgley as despicable and deplorable and at one point during sentencing, paused to ask Ridgley: "How low can you stoop?"
On Monday, 26 October 2015, Ridgley approached the Oaks Way, Sutton, home of a 91-year-old, male World War II Navy veteran. Ridgley charged him £140 to have his gutters cleared.
Ridgley followed closely as the resident used a chairlift to go up the stairs to his bedroom and observed where the resident kept his money. Ridgley was paid for his work and the both returned downstairs. But then Ridgley asked to go to the toilet upstairs and stole £100 from the bedroom.
Ridgley also went to an address in Banstead, Surrey, in January 2015 where he charged an 83-year-old disabled woman £240 for guttering and roofing work he didn't carry out.
He was arrested whilst sitting in a Ford Transit Connect van in Epsom, on Friday, 30 October 2015.
Ridgley was sentenced to 24 months for theft in Sutton, 30 months for fraud in Banstead, and a three-month sentence for each of two breaches of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, which were put in place to prevent him from call calling residents for repair work on their homes - one in Kingston and another in Carshalton.
All sentences to run consecutively - making a total of 60 months' imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to the offences.
On Monday, 26 October 2015, Ridgley approached the Oaks Way, Sutton, home of a 91-year-old, male World War II Navy veteran. Ridgley charged him £140 to have his gutters cleared.
Ridgley followed closely as the resident used a chairlift to go up the stairs to his bedroom and observed where the resident kept his money. Ridgley was paid for his work and the both returned downstairs. But then Ridgley asked to go to the toilet upstairs and stole £100 from the bedroom.
Ridgley also went to an address in Banstead, Surrey, in January 2015 where he charged an 83-year-old disabled woman £240 for guttering and roofing work he didn't carry out.
He was arrested whilst sitting in a Ford Transit Connect van in Epsom, on Friday, 30 October 2015.
Ridgley was sentenced to 24 months for theft in Sutton, 30 months for fraud in Banstead, and a three-month sentence for each of two breaches of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, which were put in place to prevent him from call calling residents for repair work on their homes - one in Kingston and another in Carshalton.
All sentences to run consecutively - making a total of 60 months' imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to the offences.