Two Edinburgh men conned a vulnerable 91 year-old woman after convincing her they were there to check her water supply.
Callous John MacDonald,54, and his sidekick Abel Diaz,38, targeted Mary Jewitt at her home in Meadowbank, on July 2 2019.
After arriving at her home, Mary allowed the pair inside to check her taps and waterworks but quickly became suspicious due to their behaviour.
She then asked them to leave the house, only to later discover both her bank cards and large sums of cash had been taken.
On Wednesday, the men appeared at the Edinburgh High Court, where prosecution lawyer Steven Borthwick told judge Lord Boyd: “Both accused and the witness went into the kitchen area where both accused inspected the taps and pipework at the sink area.
“After a short time Mary Jewitt grew suspicious and asked both accused to leave which they both did. She then checked with a neighbour in an effort to see if the two males had attended at their address.
Join our courts, crime and breaking news group for up-to-the-minute information about everything that's happening in Edinburgh.
“After discovering they had not, she checked her handbag and discovered her wallet which contained cash and bank cards to be missing. She contacted police and had her bank card cancelled.”
The story emerged after MacDonald and Diaz pleaded guilty on Wednesday to six charges of theft, housebreaking and reset.
After running a similar scam, the pair also stole over one hundred pounds from Richard Tibbets, a local man from Warriston who suffers from a severe disability.
Richard, who has partial blindness and multiple sclerosis, fell for the same facade as many others, letting the men into his home before one of them would distract him.
Mr Borthwick said the pair claimed once again they needed to check the water supply but stole £110 and a set of keys.
He added: “Richard Tibbets then discovered money and his wallet, containing his bank card, were missing.
“He contacted a friend, who cares for him, and who phoned bank to arrange for his cards to be cancelled. The police were then contacted.”
Lord Boyd will sentence the pair at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 5 2020.
