A cruel fraudster claimed to be in a "vegetative state" to avoid court but was caught on camera walking normally the day before.
William Bower targeted at least 23 elderly and vulnerable people looking for landscaping, gardening or property works, and overcharged them for unnecessary work he barely completed.
Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer, Alan Griffin, said when Bower was questioned about his actions he had so many business names he couldn’t remember them all, LincolnshireLive reports.
He continued: "The original case against Mr Bower was a strong one, consisting of 13 charges all under the Fraud Act 2006.
"However, his day in court was put back numerous times due to claimed medical episodes preventing him from attending court, including heart attacks and a stroke.
"No medical evidence was provided to justify the delays. On one occasion, when it was claimed Mr Bower was in a vegetative state in hospital and so could not attend court, footage from the day before shows him walking up to the house of one of his previous victims.
"William Bower finally appeared before a judge in November 2022 to plead guilty to the charges against him. He was remanded in custody to await his sentencing."
Bower admitted 13 counts of fraud in the East Midlands areas and was jailed for six years and nine months after appearing at Lincoln Crown Court.
Mr Griffin said Bower maintained contact with one victim while prison and called him persistently to continue his campaign of harassment and intimidation while refunding others.
However he still owes more than £100,000 to some victims.
"It’s clear that his attempts at refunds were a last-ditch attempt to save his own skin after legal proceedings were started against him," Mr Griffin said.
One of his victims said: "My independence has been taken away from me. He has broken his word on all of his promises.
"How could he be so callous and uncaring about two vulnerable people?"
Another victim said: "I have received so many lies and excuses that I could fill a book with them. I should have contacted Trading Standards sooner, but I was ashamed to admit that I had been conned so easily."
Once released from prison Bower is banned from using trader marketplace websites to offer landscaping or property work, enter any property in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire to carry out or advertise for landscaping or property work, take any money upfront for work and must provide all his customers with a contract including his most up to date contact details and address.
Vicky Salmon, anti-fraud community safety co-ordinator at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "If you find a business, check if they’re a member of 'TrustMark'– the government’s trader scheme, 'Buy With Confidence,' or a similar scheme or trade association that carries out checks. Make sure you receive documents relating to your work and know your rights to cancel.
"If something does go wrong, never be too afraid or embarrassed to report it to Trading Standards as soon as possible. You can find further advice on finding a trader you can trust, or report a rogue trader, on the Citizens Advice website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer."
