A pensioner was left penniless after a fraud involving Alfred Ball (left), Billy Smith and Richard Smart

by Keith Hunt

A pensioner was left homeless and penniless after rogue traders conned him into selling his bungalow and pocketed about £100,000.

Retired engineer Robert Breen, from Medway, ended up sleeping rough for 10 weeks before going into a refuge. He is now reduced to living in a bedsit, his savings and prized possessions all gone.

Five men and a woman have now been jailed for almost 20 years for offences a judge called "utterly despicable".

Ringleader Alfred Ball, 39, was given the longest sentence of eight-and-a-half years. He had committed similar offences before and been jailed for seven years.

Billy Smith, 25, and Richard Smart, 25, were each sentenced to four-and-a-half years, William King, 52, to 12 months and grandmother Cheri Strugnell, 59, and Andrew Cole, 38, to six months each.

Ball, of no fixed address; Smith, of Moorhen Walk, Greenhithe; and Smart, of Heath Road, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands, all admitted conspiracy to defraud.

King, of Purley Green Road, Egham, Surrey; Strugnell, of Percy Bryant Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex; and Cole, of Christchurch Drive, Blackwater, Camberley, Hampshire; all denied money laundering, but were convicted.

The home Robert Breen was cheated out of in Blackthorn Avene, Walderslade

Bridget Todd, prosecuting, said Ball, aided by Smith and Smart - Strugnell's son - persuaded Mr Breen, 66, to sell his two-bedroom bungalow in Blackthorn Avenue, Walderslade, on the pretence of the proceeds being invested in a business opportunity involving public houses.

"In fact, there was no business opportunity and Alfred Ball and Billy Smith walked off with the proceeds of the sale of almost £100,000 themselves," Miss Todd told Maidstone Crown Court.

Smart probably only gained a few pounds "for his trouble", but knew what was afoot and witnessed the transfer of the property, signing the deed and leaving his fingerprint on the document.

Ball, Nelson and Smart had carried out sub-standard block paving work at the victim's home in January 2011 after cold-calling him. He was charged about £30,000.

"They had taken Mr Breen into their trust and groomed him for the later, final act of fraud, which was to relieve him of his home," said Miss Todd.

"he was living a happy retirement having been made redundant. he had savings and no debts. he ended up homeless​..." – judge martin joy

Two cheques for "extras" were written out by Mr Breen. One was made out to King for £11,000. He paid it into his account and it was then drawn out for Ball. King took a few hundred pounds.

The second cheque was made out to Strugnell for £10,400. It was again withdrawn and Strugnell kept about £1,400. A third cheque was made out to Cole for £7,000 and withdrawn.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Joy said: "The court has to deal with you for offences that arise from an utterly despicable fraud. The facts are deeply disturbing.

"The fraud on the hapless Mr Breen resulted in him losing all his worldly goods. This was property that was worth £200,000. It was taken from him and all of his savings were removed from him.

"He literally lost all his worldly goods."

The victim gave evidence at the trial of King, Strugnell and Cole and it was clear he was utterly traumatised.

"He was living a happy retirement having been made redundant. He had savings and no debts. He ended up homeless. He was utterly devastated."

The judge said Ball's previous convictions for similar offences were "very aggravating". There had to be immediate imprisonment for all six, he added.

The case was heard at Maidstone Crown Court

Bachelor Mr Breen told in a victim statement how he had been left devastated by the con.

He described himself as trusting, believing a person's word was their bond, but said he was probably too trusting, especially when it came to the man he knew as Fred Winter, also known as Alfred Ball.

"Never in my lifetime would I have realised that having agreed to carry out work on my bungalow, it would have a catastrophic, personally and financially, impact on my life," he said.

"The court is well aware how he groomed and manipulated me over a number of months to gain my trust so that I would agree to various building works being carried out.

"I took him at his word. I only agreed to sell the bungalow quickly because he offered me the chance to invest in his company. He promised the investment was safe and would be returned with profits in due course.

"Never has a promise been so worthless and wrong, so hollow. Fred and his associates saw me as just another meal ticket to be deceived, cheated and stripped of my worth.

"Within 10 months of them entering my life, I lost everything - my savings, my home my investment."

Mr Breen said he was lucky the weather was kind to him when he ended up sleeping rough.

"I was lonely, scared, vulnerable and miserable," he added. "I was angry with myself. I didn't know who to turn to."

Mr Breen said he did not realise the police were looking for him. They eventually found him in September 2011 and put him into a homeless refuge in Medway.

"I was stupid and feel embarrassed that I was tricked," he added. "However, I now want to sort out my life and get over everything that has happened."

Mr Breen said: "I have many happy memories of living in Blackthorn Avenue and neither Fred nor anyone else can take those memories from me."