Two men have been convicted after they defrauded elderly and vulnerable people out of tens of thousands of pounds.
John Khan (53) of Kirkintilloch and Stuart Burns (40) of Stirling pled guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday (August 18).
Both admitted to defrauding an 82-year-old woman in the East Craigs area of £5,500 in August 2015.
They also conned an 88-year-old man in the Cramond area out of £35,800 in August and September 2015.
Burns pled guilty to a total of four charges, which included defrauding a couple in their seventies out of £8,200 in the Drum Brae area in January 2015.
He was also responsible for conning a 71-year-old woman of £7,500 in the Whitburn area in May 2016.
Khan pled guilty to a total of three charges, which included defrauding a 79-year-old woman in the Clermiston area of £1,700 in February 2015.
They falsely claimed that the victim’s homes were in need of urgent repair work, specifically to the roof.
In many cases, they pressured the victims to pay them and on one occasion even drove a woman to the bank to withdraw money.
On another occasion, they claimed to work for a legitimate company that had previously carried out maintenance on the victim’s home.
Following the conviction, Khan was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months and Burns to 4 ½ years in prison.
Detective Inspector Alan O’Brien of Edinburgh’s Proactive CID said: “Khan and Burns targeted elderly and vulnerable people and took advantage of their good nature to gain their trust.
“I would urge all homeowners to be wary of unexpected callers and remember that you are under no obligation to agree to any work.
“If you are unsure or are made to feel intimidated or pressured, call a trusted friend or relative or contact police.
“If you have elderly or vulnerable friends, neighbours or relatives please urge them to always remain vigilant.
“Our dedicated resources will continue to work closely with Trading Standards to make sure that perpetrators of these despicable crimes are brought before the courts.”
Anyone with information about bogus workmen offences can call Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
