FORMBY BUILDER JAILED FOR CONNING PENSIONER OUT OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS

Nathan O'Neil of Redrose Caravan Park, Broad Lane, Formby. Photo by Southport Visitor

Liverpool Crown Court heard that O’Neil, a member of the travelling community, has committed 35 previous offences and served three years for a distraction burglary also involving a pensioner.

The prosecution told how in July 2013 O’Neil quoted an 79-year-old man in Guildford Road, Walton, Liverpool, £75 to repair some plasterwork which he accepted, but kept returning advising that more work was needed, totalling £21,900 and the pensioner had to borrow £15,800 from a friend to pay this bill.

The police were called in and when an independent surveyor inspected the house he estimated that the work carried out was worth just £2,000.

In October last year O’Neil targeted the Preston home of 79-year-old Albert Richardson, an ex-councillor with over 30 years service ,former mayor and who in 2014 was made an Honorary Alderman. He was quoted £1,750 for roofing repairs and work began before Mr Richardson's nephew knew what was going on. There is a security camera installed in the property after an earlier theft and when the footage was replayed the victim was seen counting out the £1,750. But when Mr Richardson, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was not looking O’Neil took £300 of it and put it in his back pocket and Mr Richardson was tricked into adding another £300.

In a statement Simon Richardson, the nephew, described the victim as kind and caring and said he felt “disgusted” that someone had treated his uncle in this way.

O’Neil, of Redrose Caravan Park, Broad Lane, Formby , pleaded guilty to fraud and theft and was jailed for a total of 2 years 24 weeks.

The Judge, Recorder Stephen Bedford, heard in mitigation that O’Neil, a recovering alcoholic, had previously had problems with alcohol and substances.

He had building contracts for several people but lost his driving licence, so other people from the travelling community started driving him to these jobs. He was frightened of them, having previously been stabbed nine times in Scotland. The injuries sustained kept him in the hospital for a considerable length of time.

The work he started in Walton was legitimate but it was taken over by these men, whom he refused to name. The court heard that he stole the money belonging to Mr Richardson “when he saw the opportunity".