Published at 13:05, Tuesday, 27 July 2010

A DALTON pensioner who was living alone was subjected to a £20,000 fraud by a trader who had cold called him, a court has heard.

Zachary O’Connor implied that various sums said to be owed were reasonable prices for jobs at the man’s address.

He also drove his 69-year-old victim to the bank so that he could withdraw hundreds of pounds, did not provide any invoices for work and did not tell the man of his legal right to cancel any contract.

O’Connor, 23, of Barley Cop Lane, Lancaster, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court yesterday to a total of eight charges of fraud by false representation. He also admitted a further offence of engaging in a trade, in a commercial practice, which was aggressive, between May 12 and October 27 last year.

Judge Michael Byrne was told that the case involved a sum of around £20,000.

Sentencing has been put back to September and the judge told O’Connor, “All options will be available to the court that deals with you.”

The defendant was remanded on bail to September 21 with conditions, including one not to enter Dalton.

A pre-sentence report will be compiled on him by the probation service.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk