A rogue trader ripped off an elderly woman to the tune of £31,100 after conning her into having unnecessary roof repairs and other work done, a court heard.

John Draper even relieved his 80-year-old victim of £950 just to clean out the gutters – a demand that outraged a judge.

“You stand in front of that old woman and demand the best part of a thousand pounds to go up a ladder and clear her gutters,” said Judge Julian Smith.

“This is dishonesty of the profoundest nature – a vulnerable and trusting elderly victim.

“You say you would like to make good the harm done to her, but you are the last person she would wish to see.”

Draper was already serving a jail sentence of just under five years for a similar fraud offence, when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.

On the previous occasion he fleeced an elderly woman in Meopham out of her life savings of £44,500.

Now the 44-year-old, of Ridgeway, Darenth, has been sentenced to 28 months to run consecutively to the four years and 10 months he was already serving.

"He caused her distress and left her frightened and shaking" - Gary Willmot

Draper went to the woman’s home in Cambridge Road, Gillingham in July 2014, and said the roof needed repairing.

Over the next four months she gave him cheques in amounts from £1,000 to £15,000.

Prosecutor Gary Willmot said Draper would call the victim’s bank and refer to her as mum to make sure the transfers went through.

She later told how she was terrified and felt in danger but he refused to reimburse her.

“He caused her distress and left her frightened and shaking,” said Mr Willmot.

“He told her it would cost £9,000 to replace the roof. The work would have been worthless.”

Draper left a hole in the roof which led to flooding. The victim asked him to cover it with tarpaulin but he refused.

Her losses were not covered by insurance.

Benjamin Narain, defending, said Draper’s wife was suffering from cancer and it weighed heavily on him that he could not be there to support her.

While in prison he had passed a GCSE in English and worked with the Samaritans.

“He is sorry,” said Mr Narain.