COWBOY BUILDER LOST HIS BOTTLE

£14,500 con snared by DNA on Sprite

A COWBOY builder who duped a pensioner out of £14,500 was snared after he left behind a juice bottle.

Scott McDonald, 25, scammed Jennifer Wood, 73, after appearing at her door and offering to fix her gutters for free.

He then told her she needed £12,000 of repairs to her roof but McDonald and his pals did just £20 worth of work – and took £14,500 from her.

McDonald was jailed for eight months yesterday after cops tracked him when his DNA was recovered from a Sprite bottle left in the pensioner’s attic.

Paisley sheriff John Herald blasted the conman, who is serving a 16-month prison stretch at HMP Low Moss after being convicted at Greenock Sheriff Court earlier this year of a similar offence.

He said: “You are one of these people I consider to be a parasite in our society. Preying on the elderly, conning them out of their money, saying you are not that bad – yes, you are.” McDonald targeted Jennifer in October and November 2015 at her home in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. Fiscal depute Maureen McGovern told the court: “The accused was operating as part of a three-man operation. “Ms Wood answered the door to these men. They told her the house had problems with the guttering and offered to fix it free of charge.

“They appeared to do this then told her the trusses were suffering from rot and needed to be replaced.

“One of the men asked Ms Wood to withdraw £3500 from her bank account. She understood this was to purchase materials.

“She did this on consecutive day then returned and withdrew a further £7500.”

The alarm was raised by a bank clerk. who became suspicious when Jennifer returned to lift more cash. The bank then got in touch with police.