Trickster jailed after scamming Sutton woman (From Sutton Guardian)

Man jailed after tricking Sutton woman out of £24,000

7:30am Friday 6th July 2012 in News By Sophia Sleigh, Reporter

A 41-year-old man has been jailed for seven and a half years after tricking vulnerable people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The trial made legal history because it was the first trial allowing victims and witnesses to give evidence by Skype because of their age and vulnerability.

Carl Davies of Trowes Lane, Swallowfield, Reading, tricked ten elderly and vulnerable residents after requesting payment in advance for home improvements, most of which he barely started or completed.

One of his victims a 77-year-old Sutton woman lost £24,000 after bathroom and kitchen refurbishment work reduced her rooms to a building site with electrics and plumbing disconnected and key utilities and appliances removed.

The woman was even asked for more money so Mr Davies could start work on other properties because his bank wouldn’t provide him with any loans but would repay the money once he had been paid by clients.

She was first approached by Mr Davies around July 8, 2008, when he called at her home off Brighton Road, Sutton, enquiring about doing work on her house.

None of the money the woman paid to Mr Davies was repaid.

The offences all took place between July 2008 - September 2009.

Carl Davies, was sentenced to 7.5 years in jail at Reading Crown Court on June 27 after he was found guilty of nine counts of fraud and theft.

He was additionally required to serve six months jail to run concurrently following his breach of a suspended sentence in 2008.