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| Builder jailed for £100,000 scam | Builder jailed for £100,000 scam |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A builder who conned up to £100,000 out of elderly people in the West Midlands for work they did not need has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. | A builder who conned up to £100,000 out of elderly people in the West Midlands for work they did not need has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. |
| Stephen Allen, of Stechford, Birmingham, admitted conspiracy to obtain property by deception during a three-year scam. | |
| The judge at Birmingham Crown Court described him as "evil and wicked". | The judge at Birmingham Crown Court described him as "evil and wicked". |
| Allen's co-defendant, Vincent Smith, failed to turn up at court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. | |
| Both men were arrested following a joint investigation by Sandwell Trading Standards and West Midlands Police. | |
| 'Cold-called' | |
| Smith, also of Stechford, was found guilty of the same charge last November and will be sentenced on 22 March. | |
| Both men targeted vulnerable elderly people across the West Midlands region. | |
| Chris King, of Sandwell Trading Standards, said: "One woman lost £18,900 while two 84-year-old women lost £9,000 and £17,000 respectively. | |
| "As a general rule the victims had been cold-called and told their roofs needed urgent work. | |
| "They would be given false names - Stephen Allen would call himself Frank while Vincent Smith said his name was Dave." |