A CONMAN convinced a dementia sufferer that he was his grandson in an attempt to get his hands on his life-savings.

Scott Fothergill told the elderly man that he would help him do work on his home if he withdrew thousands of pounds from his account.

The 20-year-old – who appeared in court for a similar scam last year – was caught when suspicious building society staff raised the alarm.

He asked cashiers at a branch of Darlington Building Society for sums of £500, then £4,000, £1,500 and £11,000 over the space of two days.

When the cheques were not issued and a telegraphic transfer was not made, Fothergill turned up at the company’s headquarters.

He took with him the confused 77-year-old man – still convinced he was his grandfather – and demanded to know where the money was.

Staff tipped off police, and when an officer turned up at the office in Darlington, he was also suspicious of the younger man.

He asked what they were doing there, and Fothergill replied: “Sorting out money for granddad for building work.”

Fothergill, of Elmfield Street, Darlington, was arrested and investigations revealed that the pensioner had been targeted before.

It is thought the man, who lives in a bungalow in the Stockton area, had virtually his entire life-savings taken in a string of similar cons.

Prosecutors believe Fothergill’s involvement was the tip of the iceberg and the other culprits have not been identified or caught.

Fothergill pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud from April 2009 when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Friday.

His case was adjourned until next month to allow the Probation Service time to compile a report about his past and his previous convictions.

Defence barrister Christopher Baker revealed that Fothergill appeared at the same court last year for similar offences.

Last June, he was dealt with for targeting an 84-year-old man from Darlington and cheating him out of his lifesavings.

Fothergill faced ten charges of fraud, three of theft, two of burglary and one count of attempted theft in December 2009.

He told the pensioner he would carry out roofing work on his home, which was not needed, and tried to pay stolen cheques into his accounts.

It was also said Fothergill tried to transfer money by telephone from the man’s account and purported to be the pensioner’s nephew.

The offences in the Stockton area were carried out before the Darlington crimes, but Fothergill is only now being prosecuted for them.

Mr Baker said that “in a perfect world” his client would have been dealt with for all the crimes at the same time.

“He is subject to Probation Service involvement at the moment and it is expected there will be a positive report,” he said.

Judge Peter Armstrong adjourned the case and told Fothergill: “The granting of bail is no indication of sentence.

All options will be open.”