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Jail for man who conned elderly into buying home alarms

The trial took place at Bristol Crown Court Credit: PA

A cold calling criminal who conned elderly and vulnerable people out of more than £150,000 has been jailed for five years and disqualified from being a company director for eight years for his part in a fraudulent home alarm business.

Daniel Jody Rivers aged 34 from Yatton, Somerset, a director of ABHG Ltd and also trading as Homeguard UK, was found guilty of fraud and breaching consumer protection legislation at Bristol Crown Court.

Victims were falsely informed that Rivers’ company was working with the local police and they were installing alarm systems either free of charge or at a reduced rate for their post code area. Others were persuaded to have existing working alarm systems deactivated in order to have a new alarm system fitted by ABHG.

Many of the victims lived alone, were elderly and vulnerable. Today’s sentence fully reflects the seriousness and extent of Rivers’ callous exploitation of those poor victims he deliberately targeted.

I would like to send my heart-felt thanks and sympathy to those victims coming forward to provide the crucial evidence in crown court necessary to secure this conviction.

– Cllr Fi Hance, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Bristol City Council