Cold caller who deliberately preyed on vulnerable Hartlepool couple is sentenced at Teesside Crown Court

Lee Davidson asked for cash on multiple occasions from the vulnerable pensioners aged in their 70s and 80s and on one occasion pressured them into withdrawing money from their bank.

They agreed to let him clean their guttering and remove some rubbish from their home after he knocked at their door on Boxing Day 2022.

But Teesside Crown Court heard the guttering was never cleaned despite Davidson repeatedly turning up at their home and asking for more money.

And the rubbish he removed was left strewn all over a communal grassed area with the couple having to take out a loan to get somebody else to remove it.

Davidson, 37, has been jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and blackmail.

Andrew Epsley, prosecuting, said: “The scheme was to enable him to keep going back so he can extort more money from them."

After turning up at the couple's home unannounced again and claiming he had cleaned the guttering, Davidson asked for another £110 on top of £140 they had already paid him.

He told them he needed the money for materials for another job and for “pasties for the lads”.

When the couple said they didn’t have any money, Davidson became agitated waving his hands in an intimidating manner, said Mr Epsley.

He then followed the couple to Hartlepool town centre where they withdraw cash from the bank.

The court heard they felt forced to move home and Davidson’s actions have had a serious effect on their finances and health.

They reported him to Hartlepol Trading Standards who informed the police and Davidson, of Shelley Grove, Hartlepool, was arrested.

He had previous convictions for similar offences including in 2017 when he was jailed for five years as part of a gang who fleeced pensioners out of almost £30,000.

Sentencing Davidson for his latest offences, Recorder Fiona Davies said: “As is abundantly clear, the effect of your offending has been grave and it has been out of all proportion to the money you extorted from them.”

She made an indefinite criminal behaviour order to prevent similar further offending and a restraining order.