Police seeking 'sidekick' rogue trader

[dutchman]

Suspect shown ringing doorbell is wanted after vulnerable pensioners were targeted by rogue builders



A suspected rogue builder shown ringing a doorbell is wanted by police over an attempt to con an elderly couple out of £1,500 for bogus repairs.

The unidentified man is believed to have accompanied Thomas Connors as the pair tried to trick the vulnerable pensioners in Chapelfields.

They told the 89-year-old man and his 91-year-old wife that they had spotted urgent work was necessary.

The accomplice is then believed to have deliberately damaged tiles as the rogue traders claimed more than a thousand pounds was needed for emergency works.

The homeowners became suspicious - with the distressed woman screaming for help - and the men left with no cash. However, they left behind a £1,500 roof repair bill.

As West Midlands Police investigated, it emerged a man matching the description of Connors had conned an 85-year-old man with dementia in Northfield less than a week later.

The victim had been told urgent roof repairs were necessary and Connors and a sidekick fled with hundreds of pounds without doing any work.

After releasing images across social media channels and to the public, police received several calls identifying Connors.

Even though he gave a no comment interview, apart from denying it was him in the picture, officers were able to build a strong case of evidence which ultimately led to an admission at court.

The 62-year-old of Mere Lane, Lutterworth, pleaded guilty to fraud and criminal damage offences in March 2018. He was jailed for 20 months at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday (September 15).

PC Munmohan Sahota, from force CID, said: "We've still to find the suspected sidekick and, even though he wasn't identified at the time we initially released his image, we hope someone may look again and recognise him."