A Perth bogus workman who conned a stroke victim out of £110 has been jailed for 10 months.
James Hume, 23, tricked his victim after falsely claiming to have cleaned the gutters on Albany Terrace, Perth.
At Perth Sheriff Court, Hume, of Nimmo Avenue, also admitted pretending to be a subcontractor working with the council and falsely claiming he had been ordered to carry out gardening work at two other Perth homes.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said that on December 11 Hume knocked on the back door of the Albany Terrace house and demanded £180 from the homeowner for clearing his gutters.
When the man said he only had £110 on him, Hume pressurised his victim into handing over all the money he had.
On December 22 at Stanley Crescent, Perth, Hume also pretended to a 75-year-old homeowner that he was employed by the council as a subcontractor to carry out plumbing work on the house.
After telling the complainer that the council would charge her £56, he offered to do the work for £36.
However, the woman’s relatives challenged Hume over his authenticity and contacted the council to check up on him.
Hume also pled guilty to trying to con £200 out of a homeowner at Duncansby Way on the same day for gardening work he falsely claimed needed done.
Solicitor Cheryl McKnight said Hume had slipped back into heroin use and had committed the crimes to get money to pay for drugs.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Hume a prison sentence was inevitable.