A "rogue trader" forced an elderly woman to cut down on her food and heating bills as he conned her out of nearly £33k.
Michael Lynch, 38 of Wordsworth Avenue, Widnes, was first introduced to his 75-year-old victim by a neighbour in 2019, Henry Riding, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, January 17.
Lynch befriended the elderly woman and started by charging her for shoddy or non-existent building repairs and later got her to stand as a guarantor for a £6,000 loan purportedly for his business.