Brit who fled to Thailand after swindling elderly people ordered to repay just £134

[Hans Mann]

A COWBOY builder who swindled elderly clients out of £50,000 including a South Zeal resident has been ordered to repay just £134.02.

Darren Scott targeted vulnerable pensioners who he overcharged or fleeced by taking money in advance for work he never carried out.

He was caught after an Age Concern helper spotted large withdrawals from the bank account of an 85-year-old dementia sufferer from North Devon.

He took £20,000 from the pensioner from South Zeal and £3,600 from a customer in Topsham and used the money to flee to Thailand.

Scott, aged 46, of Hele Road, Kingsteignton, is now serving a 30-month sentence imposed last August after he admitted five frauds and one count of money laundering.

He was brought back to Exeter Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act but Judge Graham Cottle was told Scott’s only assets are a bank account containing just £134.02.

The Judge ruled that Scott’s benefit from crime amounted to £50,536.77 but that the available amount was just the £134.02. He ordered him to pay the money within six months or spend another week in jail.

Mr Tom Bradnock, prosecuting, said Scott has already signed a disclaimer which will allow for the transfer of the money.

During the case last August the court heard Scott was a serial fraudster who went on the run after swindling £20,000 from a 78-year-old man in Chudleigh by claiming he needed the money to buy his wife cancer treatment. It was a total lie.

He went on to defraud a frail spinster from South Zeal out of another £20,000 by overcharging her for minor works on the porch of her cottage.

He was caught when an Age Concern volunteer noticed the large payments and alerted trading standards officers.

Scott also took a £3,600 deposit from a customer in Topsham for roofing work which he never carried out and fiddled £3,725.21 by claiming sickness benefit when he was actually sunning himself in Thailand.

Mr Barry White, defending, said Scott consented to the confiscation order.

He told the previous hearing that Scott turned to fraud when his building business was failing, his marriage was breaking up, and he was struggling to work because of injury.

Cowboy builder ordered to pay just ?134 after swindling elderly residents out of ?50,000 | Okehampton Times

[harrybarracuda]

If ever a bloke needs a fucking good hiding, it's that piece of shit.

[TizMe]

What is his Thai Visa userid?

[navynine]

Fish bait would be too good. Give him back to those he cheated.

[blue]

46 ?
these chavs always age super fast



Darren Scott also claimed benefits, saying he was bed-bound when he was actually in Thailand, the court heard

The court heard he claimed £3,700 in Employment Support Allowance because he was too ill to work, but it included several months when he was living in Thailand.
Scott also admitted being in breach of a suspended sentence imposed in 2012 for swindling a 78-year-old customer out of £20,000, by claiming that his wife needed expensive private cancer treatment.
Judge Phillip Wassall said: "I have been told you turned to dishonesty in dark times.
"I accept that, but cannot help wondering about how your dark times compared with those of Miss Cash, who was 85, suffering from Alzheimer's, and very frail and vulnerable when you targeted her.
"The work was slapdash and you took advantage of her by charging her double what it was worth."
Barry White, defending, said Scott had carried out valuable work for both victims but committed the frauds at a time when his building business was failing, his marriage was breaking up, and he was struggling to work because of injury.
Builder Darren Scott 'targeted' Devon dementia victim - BBC News

[VocalNeal]

Why is he wearing what looks like a bomb disposal suit?

[shaggersback]

Yeah bad cnut.
But how is it possible to offer a price for services rendered before the service and then either not perform the service or under- perform the service and then upon payment for said service be considered a fraudster?

I thought that came under the umbrella of business.
Better don't employ ppl you can't get bashed .

I'm still stinging over letting those cnuts at Toyota charge me for greasing the vigo where there's no grease points.