Jailed: Mid Wales fraudster duped elderly women out of £100,000 with his 'glib' lies

Persuasive conman James Condliffe, from Mid Wales, placed an advert in Britain's longest-running women's weekly The Lady, which was launched in 1885, offering care for pensioners in need.

The 34-year-old's convincing advert in the magazine, known for its domestic service and care advertisements, promised elderly women a complete 'care package.'

Vulnerable Margaret Beader, 78, from Hampshire, was duped by the fraudulent scheme and gave the conman her £75,000 life savings after seeing the advert in The Lady.

Part of Condliffe's cunning ruse was to treat Mrs Bearder like she was a 'grandmother' - having her over for dinner at his home, visiting her three times a month and calling her every day.

He promised the wheelchair user a complete care package and a quaint Welsh cottage home as well as taking her to see land at Pen Y Rhos, Llanerfyl, near Welshpool, where he lived.

However Condliffe, who has a previous fraud conviction, never owned the land, never had planning permission and was being chased by debt agencies.

At Portsmouth Crown Court, Mrs Bearder sat in her wheelchair and watched on as Condliffe was jailed for four years and nine months. He also duped another pensioner out of £18,000 in a similar fraud.

The court was told Mrs Bearder trusted Condliffe and felt he was like a grandson, as he got her to pay towards an imaginary quaint Welsh cottage that they could stay in.

Condliffe was arrested as he arrived in Mrs Bearder's flat when a vigilant neighbour became suspicious and called police.

Officers found paperwork linked to another victim, Shirley Drake-Brockman, 81, from Portishead, Somerset, who lost £18,000 in two bank transactions when she responded to another of Condliffe's adverts in March this year.