Conman who stole £500k ordered to pay £7k back

Joseph Oliver "rinsed" 39 victims between the ages of 53 and 93

A conman who stole more than £500,000 from elderly and vulnerable people who needed help to maintain their homes has been banned indefinitely from being involved in any business that cold calls the public.

Joseph Anthony Oliver, from Lytham St Annes in Lancashire, "rinsed" 39 victims between the ages of 53 and 93, taking them for sums between £60 and £120,000, a judge said.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Oliver convinced them to have work that did not need doing, and then did a shoddy job.

The 34-year-old was jailed for four years and nine months in July and following a further hearing in May was handed a criminal behaviour order and ordered to pay back £7,612.

The money will be divided between three of his victims who lost the largest amount, Lancashire County Council said, but "not all monies were able to be recovered, meaning not all victims are able to be compensated."

Oliver's trial heard between January 2017 and May 2020, when trading as LJ Property Solutions Ltd, he targeted mainly older homeowners who had money but could no longer keep up the maintenance of the property themselves.

'Manipulative and ruthless'

Many of his victims were widowed, struggling with mobility or limited vision.

Between August 2020 and June 2023, trading as Windowseal Ltd, he used the same trade practices targeting vulnerable residents in Lancashire.

Once identified, victims were repeatedly targeted and exploited by the "calculating, manipulative, ruthless and professional conman", the court heard.

Oliver was investigated by Lancashire County Council Trading Standards and Trading Standards Wales' regional investigators and pleaded guilty to two counts of participating in a fraudulent business.

In a letter to Judge Timothy Petts expressing his remorse when he was sentenced, he described his actions as "hideous, disgusting crimes that make you feel sick".

The judge, who also disqualified him from being a director for 10 years, said that Oliver "rinsed his elderly and vulnerable victims for as much as possible" with "appalling dishonesty and exploitation".

The criminal behaviour order bans Oliver from being involved in any business that cold calls the public to sell or get leads for the selling of any products and being involved in any business that sells home improvement products or warranties or guaranties to consumers at their home address.