More time behind bars for conman

Jordan Nisbet was handed an 18-month stretch last month when he pleaded guilty to nine charges of fraud.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard he conned people in Motherwell, Bellshill, Wishaw and East Kilbride over a 16-month period. Several victims were elderly — one woman in East Kilbride was 93.

Nisbet (20), of Tinto Crescent, Wishaw, was back in the dock this month to admit three more charges.

On each occasion he pretended to a householder that he had carried out roof repairs and was due money.

Days before Christmas last year Nisbet targeted a woman in her 70s in Coalhall Avenue, Motherwell. He persuaded her to hand over £270 for work he hadn’t done.

Three weeks later another woman in her 70s handed over £80 after Nisbet called at her home in Benford Knowe, Newarthill, and in February this year he defrauded a man aged 61 of £40 in Nimmo Place, Wishaw.

Sheriff Daniel Kelly told Nisbet the six-month sentence will start after he finishes his 18-month stretch.

Recently police and trading standards officers in North Lanarkshire highlighted conmen who target the elderly and vulnerable.

They urged householders to discuss any work they feel needs carrying out with a relative or friend who can help them find a reputable trader.

They are also advised not to agree to any work or sign anything on the spot, not to let themselves be pressured into having work carried out and to check a caller’s identity by phoning the company they claim to be from.