Builder James Brown preyed on the elderly forcing them to pay exhorbitant prices for building work at various sites all around Essex. The oily crook called on victims unannounced, befriended them and convinced them to let him carry out work on their homes.

One of his string of targets was 90-year-old Sidney Brook-Smith who paid £40,000 for repairs to his bungalow. A fairer price would have been £25,000 and, thanks to Brown's shoddy efforts, Sidney must now spend another £9,000 to fix it.

Sidney told Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex: "Brown was always bringing me bacon rolls and cups of tea. They were the most expensive bacon rolls I've ever had. "I believed that Brown was a nice bloke and he took advantage of my trusting nature."

Another elderly victim, Gladys Parish, said that Brown insisted that her insurers would pay for the £2,150 cost of work to her car port and phoned Prudential in front of her to prove it. He later admitted he had rung a friend (we're amazed he has any).

In a prosecution brought by Trading Standards, 41-year-old Brown from Tiptree, Essex, has been sentenced to 12 months' jail, suspended for two years, and 250 hours of unpaid work. He admitted 13 fraud charges and failures to give clients a written notice of their cancellation rights.

Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC said that the cancellation rights were there to protect the old and infirm against "bullies and thieves".

Speaking after the case, Mike Hill, of Essex Trading Standards said: "Brown is insidious, he has worked to befriend people to, in effect, lie to them. Essex is a safe county, but as a result of this sentence, it is even safer now."

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Dodgy builder jailed

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