Scam roofer drove elderly North Shropshire woman to the bank for £500 to 'repair' roof
A conman drove an elderly woman to a bank in a bid to get her to pay him £500 for unnecessary roof work.
Harry Watton, 24, of Caravan Site, Higher Heath, Whitchurch, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of fraud.
Emily Andrew, prosecuting, said that Watton had knocked on the door of an elderly woman living in Hawkstone Drive, Wem, on March 13, last year.
The court heard that Watton had told the woman, whose leg was in a cast at the time, that he was a professional roofer who had done work on other properties in the same road.
Ms Andrew said Watton told the woman he had noticed one of her roof tiles had split, and asked if she wanted him to fix it.
The woman said yes and Watton went away to “examine” the roof before coming back and telling the homeowner that the problem was worse than expected, and would cost £500 to fix.
The court was told he attempted to reassure the woman by telling her he was on “every website in the nation”.
Watton was told the woman did not have cash in the house so he said he would drive her into town to get some.
Ms Andrew said that when the woman got into his van, Watton’s pregnant wife was also in the vehicle.
The court was told he drove her into Wem with the intention of getting money from the post office.
But, as he stopped near a chip shop the victim saw some of her friends.
She spoke to them and they told her to get on the bus and go home because she was being scammed.
Watton then asked for money immediately before the police were called.
Ms Andrew said he fled the scene before they arrived.
Already subject to a suspended prison sentence
The victim told police she had been physically shaken by the incident when she realised it was a scam.
Watton was interviewed by police and told officers a woman had asked him to do gutter work on her property.
He denied knowing who the victim was and said the woman had seemed “vulnerable and out of sorts”.
Officers then told Watton they were in possession of video footage of him talking to the woman.
The court was then told that Watton was already subject to a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
The sentence was for dangerous driving, on the same day as the attempt to con the elderly lady.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Lowe said that he was only prepared to hand down a community order - because had magistrates dealt with the offence at the same time as the dangerous driving, the punishment would not have been more severe.
He said: “I don’t really know what was going on on March 13, 2025. At that stage, apart from something in 2018 you had not been trouble. I don’t really think it matters but I suspect the two offences, it is not a coincidence, I suspect the one led to the oother and the driving was because you knew what happened in relation to the fraud.”
He added: “In my judgement it would be wrong to add to that sentence which you are still under until November 20, 2026.”
Judge Lowe made Watton the subject of an eight month community order with a requirement to complete five rehabilitation activity requirement days.