An "embarrassed" pensioner was left unable to heat his own home after a serial scammer's campervan con.
Brian Langton was forced to live in one room and feared that he might lose his house after Andrew Evans swindled him out of £55,000. The "despicable" fraudster led his victim to cash machines 150 times and pocketed the up to £250 per throw he would withdraw.
The 80-year-old described how he felt "embarrassed and betrayed" after discovering he had been targeted by the callous scheme. This came after suspicious staff at a branch of Santander alerted the police fearing that Mr Langton was being coerced into handing over his money.
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He said in a statement, read out as Evans was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court : “I am 80 years old and considered myself as independent. I have lost all my savings and I have also lost my campervan that has clearly been sold to Sols Campers for a third of its value.
"Evans had then taken the £11,000 that I received from Sols Campers over the following two months. Only when the police arrived at Santander did I fully comprehend that I have been a victim of a crime.
"I was relieved when they became involved as I simply did not know when Evans was going to stop taking money from me or how I could ask Evans to stop. It was during March 2022 that I became worried that I could lose my house.
"It came to a point that I could not afford to heat my house and I was living in a single room. To state that my son had been involved in an accident to gain the money sooner from Sols Campers has annoyed and upset me as he has then involved my family, who he did not know.
"For Sols Campers to sell my camper van on for £30,000 has embarrassed me, as I feel that they have deliberately betrayed my trust and goodwill. I now understand that I have been targeted due to my age, vulnerability and my good nature.
"I have suffered psychologically, as I would wake up early hours in the morning thinking how can I get out of this situation. I have felt like I had no choice after I agreed to let Evans get a new camper for me."
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Friday, that Evans had worked at ES Hartley Motorhomes in Ellesmere Port but was dismissed in October 2019 after he was suspected of stealing customers' deposits and other monies. During the course of his employment, the 55-year-old had sold a £28,000 Volkswagen campervan to Brian Langton.
Alaric Walmsley, prosecuting, explained how in June 2020 Evans had attended the house where the OAP lived alone "without notice" and began discussing the purchase of a Renault campervan. Mr Langton told him that he could not afford a new vehicle, but the defendant said that he could arrange for the sale of his VW van.
He also convinced him to buy a new camper for £38,000, telling him that he would receive £13,000 in cashback. The complainant began to make what he believed were payments towards this vehicle, which would see Evans collect him in a Fiat 500 and drive him to the branch of Santander in Liscard.
Mr Langton withdrew amounts of up to £250 from the cash machine while the conman waited in the car. When this site closed in July 2021, he began taking his victim to other locations - making more then 150 such visits in total.
The court heard that Mr Langton was "living on a modest amount", but was paying Evans around £1,000 per month. He would also ask for additional sums of money to cover road tax, insurance and delivery costs and began to make excuses as to why the campervan had not been provided.
This included claims that the garage had put the wrong fuel in the vehicle and blaming Covid-19. Evans even stated that a delivery driver had been fined for travelling during the pandemic and asked Mr Langton to pay this penalty.
On December 16 2021, he introduced his supposed customer to a salesman from Neston-based Sols Campers - whom he said had agreed to purchase the VW camper for £13,000. The deal meant he would receive £5,000 immediately, followed by a further £8,000 when the sale was completed.
After receiving the five grand, Mr Langton withdrew half the sum and gave it to Evans. On January 4 this year, the thief called him and told him the second payment would now only be £6,000.
He then told Sol Campers that Mr Langton's son had been in an accident, and that his client needed the money sooner. Evans was then given this money, and more, when the total was paid.
On March 7 2022 he took Mr Langton to a bank, where he applied for £1,000 loan - although he cancelled this application the following day. The same week, he was taken to Cash Converters to pawn a telescope and binoculars for £400.
Evans was then handed this cash, plus an extra £20. On March 14, police were called to Santander in Heswall after staff raised concerns over a transaction which Mr Langton was attempting to make - fearing that he may be a victim of fraud.
The con artist, of no fixed address, was also present and was "doing all the talking". It was at this point that his years of offending were exposed.
In total, Mr Langton lost £55,050 - comprising of £37,650 in cash withdrawals, £400 from the sale of his telescope and binoculars and a loss of £17,000 on his Volkswagen campervan. Santander have since reimbursed him for the former.
Evans admitted four counts of fraud during an earlier hearing and was given a further five years behind bars. Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey QC said: "In my judgement, you are a serial fraudster. Just as blood runs through your veins, I regret to say, so does dishonesty and the targeting of the elderly."
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