Two men who defrauded elderly victims out of thousands of pounds by fraudulently cashing cheques have been jailed.

The exact circumstances which led to Dean Matthew Turner, 32, and Gavin Shane Lockton, 32, coming into possession of the cheques are not known.

Judge Stephen Climie said the overwhelming consideration in the case was the protection of the public.

He said the victims of the offending were particularly vulnerable and it was in the interests of justice to impose immediate terms of imprisonment.

“I am not persuaded that it is appropriate to suspend the sentence,” Judge Climie said.

Lockton was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment and Turner 10 months’ imprisonment.

Simon Forster, prosecuting, said the first victim, who was aged 96 and lived in Wimborne, needed some tree work done in his garden. He arranged for this to be carried out but ended up refusing to pay as he considered the work to be substandard.

The elderly man said workmen had gone in and out of his property. It later came to light through his bank that a cheque for £9,000 had been withdrawn from his account, which was “unbeknownst” to him.

Mr Foster said the victim found two or three cheques had been taken from his cheque book. Another cheque was used to acquire £15,000, while there was a failed attempt to gain a further £18,000.

“These found their way into the hands of these two defendants, who then used them,” Mr Foster said.

Mr Foster said the victim was refunded for the £24,000 that was paid out from the first two cheques.

The second victim was aged 90 and lived in New Milton.

 

Mr Foster said the man described two people coming to his door who said they could carry out roof work on his property.

“He said he gave them some money in order to gain materials but no work was actually done,” Mr Foster said.

“He said he gave them a cheque. He wasn’t sure if he put a name on the cheque.”

It came to light an attempt had been made to cash a cheque for £3,500 but this was blocked by the bank.

The court heard both men denied stealing the cheques.

Lockton, of Manor Gardens, Verwood, admitted three counts of fraud by false representation relating to both victims, while Turner, of Lockyer’s Drive, Ferndown, pleaded guilty to a single charge of fraud by false representation in relation to the Wimborne victim.

Lucy Conroy, representing Lockton, said her client was never present at the Wimborne property where the cheques were taken.

Ms Conroy said the fraud was “greed for financial gain”. She said his work had tailed off when the Covid pandemic started and he was “desperate for money”.

She said Lockton knew what he was doing was wrong and since the offending he had found new employment and he kept out of trouble.

Robert Grey, representing Turner, said his client committed the fraud so he could obtain money to support his drug habit at the time but he was now drug free.

He was now in employment and would benefit from the support of probation, Mr Conroy said.

The court heard the defendants’ basis of plea were that they had been given the cheques, asked to cash them and given a proportion of the money for carrying out the transaction.