Shrewsbury plumber conned elderly and disabled customers and spent £18k on online gambling
A Shrewsbury plumber conned customers out of more than £18,000 and spent the money on online gambling sites.
Robert Bethell, 51, of Vennington Walk, Shrewsbury, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty earlier this year to one charge of carrying on a fraudulent business, and another of disguising criminal property.
Kevin Saunders, prosecuting, told how Bethell, who was operating as RJB Plumbing, defrauded a number of customers from 2020 to 2021.
He explained that Bethell would take large deposits, sometimes worth thousands of pounds, from the victims before paying the money into his partner's bank account, then gambling the money away using websites such as 'Jackpot Joy'.
Mr Saunders told how Bethell repeatedly failed to turn up to start work, left incomplete work, or offered a litany of excuses for his absence - including stress, covid, and hospital appointments.
The court was told of numerous instances where he would attend people's homes to work for an hour before making excuses and leaving.
On one occasion he messaged a customer to say he was not "physically or mentally able to do the job".
His victims included a disabled woman who lost more than £3,000, and a married couple who were a former nurse and member of the armed forces.
One victim was left with no bathroom and a hole in the wall of her bedroom, forcing her to stay with friends in Manchester while her own mother was terminally ill.
The court heard how the deposits were paid into Bethell's partner account, and largely gambled away with no materials purchased.
Mr Saunders explained how one victim became increasingly frustrated at Bethell's excuses as she saw videos of him on holiday posted on Facebook while work was still outstanding.
