A thief who preyed upon the elderly in Hartlepool has been sentenced to three years in prison

Lee Davidson, 37, from Hartlepool, was sentenced to three years and given a Criminal Behaviour Order at Teesside Crown Court on 22 January for blackmail and fraud by false representation.

A couple in their 70s and 80s had agreed to him clearing out their guttering and removing some rubbish. They paid him up front but their gutters were never cleaned despite him returning on numerous occasions to ask for more money and on one occasion pressurising the vulnerable pensioners to withdraw cash out of their bank account.

He took their rubbish and dumped it in a grassed communal area, leading to the couple having to take out a loan to pay someone else to remove the rubbish. 

Davidson was sentenced to three years in prison and handed an indefinite Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and three restraining orders to protect the vulnerable victims. The conditions of his CBO states that he must not carry out work or offer to carry out work to any person over the age of 70, he must not accept payment upfront and must not cold call at any address.

PC Ashleigh Wood, who investigated the case said: “I welcome the sentence handed to Davidson today and hope that it brings some relief and closure for the victims, who have shown great courage and resilience throughout the investigation.

“Davidson repeatedly targeted and intimidated his victims for his own financial gain, but thanks to their bravery in coming forward he will now be held accountable for his actions.

“We remain dedicated to pursuing anyone who seeks to target and defraud others and encourage people to look out for vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours who may be seen as easy targets and report any concerns you have to police on 101.”