Conman 'clearly had no intention' of fitting elderly woman's patio door

Stuart Richard Wilson, 46, was asked to supply and fit swing and slide patio doors at her home on the edge of Hartlepool.

Michele Stowe, prosecuting on behalf of Stockton Borough Council at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, said: “He knew at the time he got the money he had financial problems and quite clearly had no intention of ordering the doors.”

The defendant last month admitted engaging in a commercial practice, which involved misleading the householders and providing false information between August 2020 and February 2021, and returned to court this week to be sentenced.

The court heard how Wilson, who was self-employed at the time, was now working for a glass company and earning “quite a substantial amount of money”.

David Dedman, mitigating, said Wilson, of Paddock Green, Wynyard, was of previous good character, had admitted his guilt at the earliest opportunity and wanted to pay the money back.

Mr Dedman added: “He got himself into financial difficulty and he wanted to do this to get the money to pay a debt.

“He was robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“Unfortunately this family were at the end of a domino effect of financial difficulties.”

Wilson received a 12-month community order and was ordered to repay the £4,500 sum.

He was also ordered to pay a further £500 for his victim’s distress, court costs of £1,682 and a £95 victim surcharge.

The sum will be repaid at £600 per month.