Bogus worker jailed

Conned elderly

A brazen bogus workman who swindled nearly £2000 from two East Kilbride women has been jailed for two years and 11 months.

William Williamson admitted defrauding his victims who had paid him up front for work which he failed to carry out.

The 33-year-old dadof-four also pled guilty to stealing £8000 and a handbag from the home of an 89-yearold Hamilton pensioner.

Fiscal depute Imran Bashir said that Williamson had been carrying out gardening work for a 64-year-old woman for about three years at her home in Carnegie Hill, prior to the February 14 offence.

He told her he could fix her leaking roof and would provide the materials and labour. He accepted a deposit of £140, then a further £310 and falsely claimed to have carried out the works later that day.

After stating the remaining work would be carried out by March 3, there was no further contact from him.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard how her 66-yearold neighbour also paid Williamson £1500 in cash for roof repairs at her home that were never carried out.

His agent told Sheriff Shiona Waldron that Williamson had committed similar “despicable” offences in the past and had been jailed for them. Williamson’s record, he added, “did not make happy reading”.

The sheriff, therefore, could not treat the matter lightly.

The court heard Williamson, of HMP Addiewell, was from a travelling family, an alcoholic and had got into debt.