Builder denies MP's father scam

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7184131.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A builder has denied conning the father of a Conservative MP out of £7,500.

Shadow defence minister Dr Julian Lewis MP has launched a civil action against Paul Grey from Swansea on behalf of his 94-year-old father Samuel.

He is seeking £7,500 damages from the builder, claiming this sum was paid to him in cash by Mr Lewis between December 2002 and January 2003.

Cardiff county court heard Mr Grey believed others claiming to be him or working for him had taken the cash.

Mr Lewis, who now lives in a care home, was living on his own in a Victorian house in Uplands, Swansea when it is alleged Mr Grey, who had previously done building work for him, took the cash.

Dr Lewis, who is MP for New Forest East, said he had tape-recorded conversations with Mr Grey after suspecting he had conned thousands of pounds from his father.

In the transcript of the conversation, parts of which were read at court, Mr Grey, 57, told Dr Lewis he had taken money from several people, including the MP's aunt "just for turning up at her house".

I was just trying to get under his skin. I was trying to annoy him Paul Grey on why he lied

But Mr Grey told the court that he had lied in the conversation because he was drunk and wanted to "annoy" the MP after being accused of conning his father out of money.

Mr Grey told the court: "He kept stressing it was me, or one of my workmen and I resented that."

He said he was "ashamed" about the conversation, but added: "Nothing I said was true.

"This was in the early hours of the morning after heavy drinking. I was very angry. I was very upset. I was just trying to get under his skin. I was trying to annoy him."

Phone calls

Dr Lewis told the court the late night conversation was one of many abusive phone calls made by Mr Grey.

The court heard that Mr Grey was later prosecuted under the Telecommunications Act in connection with the phone calls.

Mr Grey also admitted that he has criminal convictions for dishonesty but said: "When I've done things before, I've put my hands up and admitted it."

When asked by Ralph Wynne-Griffiths, representing Dr Lewis, about a part of the conversation where he said he never told the truth, Mr Grey replied: "Of course I've told lies. But I'm not a pathological liar.

"It didn't have much effect, trying to tell him I didn't do it.

"I spent no end of time trying to convince him I didn't do that to his father."

The case continues.