Bogus workman jailed for rip-off

The Sheriff said she would have wanted to jail Newlands for longer

A bogus workman has been jailed for 10 months for ripping off a 91-year-old woman for £5,500.

Eddie Newlands, from Perth, made Mary Hogg go to the bank to withdraw the money in cash after carrying out shoddy work which will cost £4,000 to fix.

Sheriff Margaret Gimblett told him she was disappointed she could only jail him for such a short time.

Newlands, 37, admitted defrauding the pensioner and also pulling a knife on police who came to question him.

Perth Sheriff Court heard that Newlands and another man called at the house in Auchterarder and told Ms Hogg she needed work done to her roof.

'Despicable'

After the "repairs" were done between 18 and 22 July, they told the pensioner they cost more than £5,500 and payment must be in cash.

Ms Hogg's family found out what happened and called the police.

The force got two experts - including the council's clerk of works - to come to the house and examine the roof.

It was advised that the wrong substance had been sprayed on the roof and it would cost more than £4,000 to put right.

The police caught up with Newlands earlier this month and he initially pulled a knife on them before giving himself up and confessing.

Solicitor John Mclaughlin, defending, said his client's problems stemmed from a heroin habit and he had been using the drug heavily at the time he conned Ms Hogg.

Sheriff Gimblett criticised the decision to prosecute Newlands on a summary complaint meaning the maximum sentence was one of 12 months in prison.

She said: "What you did to this old lady was despicable. If it was in my power, and you had had the assets, I would have asked you to pay back every penny.

"But you have no assets and you are going to prison. It is a great pity the maximum I can impose - because this is a summary complaint - is one year.

"You saved court time so I will reduce that to ten months. It grieves me to an extent that I have to do that, but this lady has been spared coming to court."