A former bin man has been jailed for more than three years after he scammed vulnerable pensioners out of more than £15,000.
Kristopher Simpson, 44, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted stealing the five-figure sum from three OAPs.
The court was told Simpson and an accomplice sometimes posed as police officers so they could siphon money from a victim’s account.
On another occasion, they took a vulnerable 76-year-old man to his local branch and told him how much to withdraw.
Simpson was finally caught when a worker at the TSB grew suspicious and called in the police.
Accused pretended to be police to scam old man
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told the court that between June 20 and August 25 last year Simpson had started making almost daily visits to the home of the 76-year-old.
Simpson offered to withdraw money from the man’s account to save him from going to the bank due to his mobility issues.
The man gave him his bank card in order for Simpson to withdraw cash for him.
“There were also occasions when the accused accompanied him to the bank where the accused would tell him how much to withdraw,” she said.
“The complainer became wary of the accused as he noticed that his bank account balance was reduced considerably.”
A money confidence supervisor at TSB, who knew the complainer, saw the accused repeatedly visit the bank with him and had heard the accused identify himself as his nephew.
She was suspicious of the number of transactions and on further investigation found transactions totalling £4,350 had been made.
She reported the matter to Police Scotland.
Posed as police to steal from victim
On another occasion, Simpson and a friend pretended to be police officers to clean out the bank account of a 71-year-old man.
The fiscal depute told the court that Simpson’s accomplice turned up at the pensioner’s home and stated he was a police officer called “Mark”.
The man advised that he was investigating fraudulent activity on the man’s bank account and was allowed to go through his bank statements.
Simpson then phoned up and identified himself as a police officer called “Mr Davis”.
The other ‘officer’ then left with the pensioner’s bank card and pin number.
“Mr Davis” then called the man and ordered him not to leave his home for a week as they emptied his bank account.
In total Simpson made 28 transactions on the man’s account totalling £6,730 and made four transactions at Sports Direct totalling £505.
Final victim was saving money for grandchildren
The court heard that Simpson’s final elderly victim was a 71-year-old man, who had tried to help him by taking him into his home.
Simpson removed £1,000 from savings accounts the pensioner had set up for his grandchildren.
The former bin man also faced charges of robbing two students of a laptop and more than £2,800 in cash by breaking into their student halls of residence.
He faced one additional charge of throttling an ex-partner.
Simpson, who has a series of previous convictions dating back to 1993, pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including several relating to using stolen bank cards, theft and impersonating a police officer.
He also admitted charges of assault and threatening and abusive behaviour.
Defence agent Gary Foulis told the court that “there is very little I can say on Mr Simpson’s behalf”.
He added: “At the time of these offences he was in the grip of a drug addiction.
“Mr Simpson had run up a considerable drug debt and was using at the same time as trying to pay off this debt.
“He does accept responsibility for his actions and he is thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour.”
‘Preying on the vulnerable’
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Simpson: “You know that a custodial sentence is inevitable and that it will be significant.
“Preying on vulnerable people is particularly reprehensible”.
Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced Simpson, of Bayview Court, Aberdeen, to a total of three years and seven months in prison.
She also put a non-harassment order in place meaning Simpson could not approach his former partner.
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