A pensioner was conned out of more than £14,000 by workmen who promised to fix his roof but never carried out the work, a court has heard.
Wheelchair-bound Allan Wilkinson, 89, told yesterday (tue) of the stupidity he felt after he handed over the money to some men to repair work after they turned up at his home.
He said he handed over the money without getting a receipt or anything in writing for the proposed work.
The man, who only had one leg, said he came to his senses and contacted the police after they asked for another £17,000 in cash.
Mr Wilkinson gave evidence in the trial of James Ayers and Gerard Moore at Paisley Sheriff Court.
The pair deny duping Wilkinson and other pensioners out of tens of thousands of pounds for building work that wasn't done.
The court heard that Mr Wilkinson first came across the three workers when one of them walked up his driveway as he was sitting in his garden in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, in late 2012.
He agreed to hand over money in exchange for tile work and waterproofing which they said his roof needed.
Mr Wilkinson said: "When I realised I had no paperwork whatsoever from these people it made me feel rather stupid.
"I couldn't understand why they would take so much money without giving me something in writing.
"That's not my normal procedure - normally I'd get something in writing.
"I realised I didn't have a name for these people, didn't have a contact number, didn't know the name of the company and didn't have an address for it."
Mr Wilkinson said that "some months passed" and he hadn't heard anything from the workmen.
He explained: "I don't know the exact dates but between that time I realised I had been conned."
The money was handed over in cash after Mr Wilkinson had withdrawn the sum from his bank.
Once the matter had been reported to the police, Mr Wilkinson told officers: "One time I went to the bank and the chap was reluctant to give me the money.
"I just wish he had taken me aside and gave me some advice."
He said the work was never carried out and the court heard that, after handing over the initial £14,000, he received phone calls from someone claiming to be a manager at a firm called Duffy Roofing.
The jury of nine men and six women heard that, in one call he was asked for another £10,000 in cash and told he would receive a rebate of £32,000.
In another call, the court heard, he was asked for a further £17,000 and told he would be reimbursed with £43,000 due to "the inconvenience" Mr Wilkinson had experienced.
Only the initial £14,000 was handed over to the workmen, the court heard.
Mr Ayers, 24, and Mr Moore, 21, deny scamming the elderly people in Paisley and Bishopbriggs between October and November 2012.
Prosecutors claim that Mr Ayers took £16,600 off Wilkinson for roof work that wasn't done, before trying to get a further £17,000 from him.
He is also accused of taking £500 from an elderly couple in Bearsden, near Glasgow, by saying he would do work on their chimney which he did not complete.
Mr Ayres, of Larkhall, and Mr Moore, of Hamilton, are also said to have taken £13,500 from an elderly couple in Paisley in November 2012.
The trial before Sheriff Robert Fife continues.
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