Prison and ban for rogue trader who defrauded elderly victims
A ROGUE trader who targeted elderly victims in Yorkshire has been jailed and banned from working on all properties in the UK.
Gerald Johnston’s actions were described as “despicable” after he carried out substandard roofing repairs on two properties in October 2019 and then drove his victims to cash points to make sure they would pay his inflated bills.
He received a suspended prison sentence in 2017 for similar offences and two days after that sentence he expired, he coldcalled a blind man in his 70s who lived in Selby.
The man explained he could not see the condition of the roof and agreed to a price of £250, but Johnston later increased it to £500 and drove him to a local post office to withdraw the cash.
After he was caught on CCTV, Trading Standards experts examined the roof and found the chimney stack he had been working on would need to be partially rebuilt.
Later that week, he targeted a couple in their 70s from Doncaster and he demanded £1,389 for roofing work before driving the elderly man to a bank to withdraw the money.
North Yorkshire County Council said trading experts found the couple had been “significantly overcharged” because the work was “inappropriate, substandard and unfit for purpose”.
Johnston, of Carlton Travellers Site in Carlton, was sentenced to two years in prison at York Crown
Court yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and engaging in a misleading practice at an earlier hearing.
He was given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, banning him for undertaking roofing or property repairs anywhere in the UK.
He was also banned from driving for three years and will now be subject to confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The wife of the first victim, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “What this man did was despicable.
“My husband was vulnerable because he was blind and he trusted and believed him.
“When I look back I know my husband wasn’t stupid, so it just shows you what can happen if you deal with doorstep callers. I do not want this to happen to other people.
“My husband has since passed away so sadly he didn’t live to see justice done. He felt ashamed, betrayed and so let down.”
Councillor Andrew Lee said: “This case was delayed due to the impact of Covid on the court system, as have a number of others.
“But any offenders of a like mind should take this as a warning that our multi-agency safeguarding team are absolutely committed to dealing with this type of behaviour, lockdowns or not.
“Justice will be done for the victims.”
On Thursday, a suspected rogue trader who forged Covid-19 to try and avoid bail dates after he was arrested in North Yorkshire, was jailed.
Lawrence Newbury, from Sandbach, in Cheshire, was arrested in September 2020 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud elderly and vulnerable people.
After he was bailed, he provided certificates with false Covid-19 test results to avoid attending Harrogate Police station in December 2020 and then in January 2021.
North Yorkshire Trading Standards proved both documents were forged and he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Teeside Crown Court after being convicted of two counts of perverting the course of justice.
He was also sentenced at the hearing to five months imprisonment for possession of an offensive weapon and to three months for driving offences, to run concurrently.
The police investigation into the alleged conspiracy to defraud is ongoing.