Jail for man who fraudulently charged pensioner with dementia £42,000 for minor garden work

A man fraudulently charged a pensioner with dementia more than £40,000 for carrying out minor work on his garden.

Elliot Shaw carried out a number of small jobs at an 88-year-old man’s home over the course of several months in 2022.

Police said it included removing a greenhouse, painting window frames and trimming bushes with all of the work carried out being of a poor standard.

The fraud came to light when a member of bank staff alerted police after the victim attempted to get a loan to pay Shaw for some of the work.

Checks found that transactions made by the victim matched incoming payments to Shaw’s bank account.

It showed that between July and December, Shaw took £42,000 from the man, demanding between £500 and £3,000 each time.

Shaw was arrested and subsequently charged with fraud by false representation.

The 34-year-old, of Tolney Lane, Newark, and formerly of Hilton, admitted the charge and appeared at Derby Crown Court for sentencing on 23 May.

He was jailed for three years and four months.

PC Emily Carnan, who led the investigation, said: “This was a despicable and targeted attack on a vulnerable elderly man.

“Shaw took money from the victim many times, knowing that because of his dementia, he couldn’t remember paying him previously.

“Over the course of just a few months he took a huge amount of money for work which was not only vastly over priced but also incredibly sub standard.

“His repeated attempts to get more and more money from the victim are appalling, and show his complete lack of empathy for anyone."

Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of fraud can report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

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