A 'DYED in the wool' fraudster who conned two victims out of more than £100,000 has been jailed for more than three years.

George Allen, 34, of Metz Bridge travellers site in Middlesbrough, also faces a confiscation hearing which could see him stripped of assets.

York Crown Court heard that Allen preyed on two elderly men in Scarborough and Stokesley before being caught and prosecuted by the multi-agency Operation Gauntlet.

The court was told Allen had a long history of offending and defrauded both victims over roofing and other household repairs, charging hugely inflated prices for works which may not even have been needed at all.

An 89-year-old man from Scarborough was targeted twice while Allen was trading as G A Home Services, and in January 2019 the victim paid him £5,800.

An invoice was found for the replacement of a dry ridge system, replacing broken tiles and removing rubbish from site.

In April 2019 Allen went back to the victim and obtained a cheque for £10,000.

The court was told that payment lacked any explanation as no paperwork was left and no additional work to the property was identified.

An expert surveyor appointed by Trading Standards concluded that had the work been done by a professional, it would have cost just over £1,000.

In total, the householder had paid Allen £15,800.

The second victim, a vulnerable man aged 69 from the Stokesley area had been visited by Allen repeatedly between 2013 and 2018.

The court heard Allen had 'inveigled his way into the trust and affection of the victim' and, over a prolonged period of time, had charged him for works around his home.

Allen took more than £82,000 in cheques from the victim.

Again, the expert surveyor concluded much of the work was unnecessary and poorly done.

Sentencing Allen, who admitted the offences, Recorder of York Sean Morris said: "You are back yet again in court for dishonesty. You have now defrauded two men and you are a dyed in the wool fraudster.

"You are not to be trusted around elderly or vulnerable people and you are far, far from being a man of good character."

He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, with confiscation proceedings now expected.

A victim personal statement was supplied to the court by the Stokesley victim, which said: “Sometimes Mr Allen took me to get money when I did not have it.

"He made sure I went to the bank but he waited outside or round the corner for me and because of this I felt compelled to pay him.

"I think I was too trusting of Mr Allen, but he did not return that trust to me.”

The daughter of the Scarborough victim described how her father’s memory problems and confusion had increased during the year he was targeted by Allen.

Speaking after the case, North Yorkshire County Councillor Andrew Lee, executive member for Trading Standards, said: “The circumstances of this offending by George Allen are appalling.

“He has deliberately targeted very vulnerable and elderly victims to fleece them of their life savings.

"It is wicked behaviour and has been dealt with accordingly by the court, to ensure justice is done for them.

“Our trading standards team are committed to securing justice for the vulnerable victims in cases such as this and we trust this case will act as a warning to others who may think about behaving in a similar manner.”

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