Bogus workers sentenced after conning elderly

Brothers tricked vulnerable homeowners into paying for unnecessary work

Two brothers have been sentenced for preying on elderly homeowners across Fife and conning them out of large sums of money.

William McPhee, 32, targeted vulnerable victims, telling them work was required to their homes and acting aggressively to obtain cash payments.

One of the victims was an 86-year-old who was looking after his wife who has severe Alzheimer’s disease.

The con man lied about work being required to his roof and then sent the man to the bank twice as the cost of the bogus work continued to increase.

McPhee, who has previous convictions for the same crime, has been jailed for 410 days and £2,400 in compensation was also paid.

His younger brother Hugh McPhee followed in his footsteps, becoming involved in the scam.

He took maggots into a pensioner’s home to make him think work was required.

The McPhees, who live at Thornton Wood travellers site, near Kelty, both appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Hugh McPhee, 19, previously admitted that on July 26 last year at Ballingry Road, Ballingry, he pretended to a 74-year-old man that his property had woodworm and required treatment.

He showed the man maggots he had taken to the property, drove him to the bank to obtain cash, induced him to pay for bogus work and obtained £930 by fraud.

William McPhee previously admitted that on March 1 and 2 at Castlandhill Road, Rosyth, while acting with others, he pretended to a householder, aged 66, that remedial work was required to his roof. He induced the man to pay for work that was not completed and in any event was unnecessary, obtaining £1,600 by fraud.

He also admitted that on April 6 at Edzell Park, Kirkcaldy, he engaged in an aggressive commercial practice by insisting that the householder, a 78-yearold man, drive to the bank to obtain money and then demanded he hand over more money than agreed.

He further admitted that on April 22 at Harley Street, Rosyth, he pretended to the householder that roof slates were loose and that the roof was infested with dry rot.

He induced the man to pay for work that was unnecessary and was not completed, obtaining £1,200 by fraud.

The court heard that William McPhee was jailed in 2005 for similar offences.

Sheriff Charles MacNair jailed William McPhee and Hugh McPhee, a first offender, was placed on a community payback order with 240 hours of unpaid work. Compensation of £930 was handed over in court by his solicitor.