Liverpool man jailed for conning pensioner out of £33k

Michael Patrick Lynch pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and one of theft

A conman who defrauded a vulnerable pensioner out of nearly £33,000 has been jailed.

Michael Patrick Lynch, 37, befriended the woman, who is in her 70s, calling her "a second mother", police said.

He told the woman he was a builder and needed her financial assistance to get his business "back on its feet".

Lynch, of Earp Street in Liverpool, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and one of theft and was jailed for three years and seven months.

Merseyside Police said Lynch encouraged and coerced his victim to obtain phone contracts, personal loans and a credit card on his behalf.

He convinced her to keep their activities quiet and not tell her family, for fear of causing them worry.

His victim took out a £6,000 bank loan and acted as a guarantor for Lynch, but suspicious staff at her bank alerted police when she attended with Lynch to withdraw the loan money so he could buy a new work van.

Det Insp Steve Ball said Lynch was "a confidence trickster who took advantage of a vulnerable woman and deceived her whilst portraying himself as a friendly, caring individual".

"His actions have had a devastating impact on his victim and her ability to trust the people around her," he said.

"To befriend a vulnerable person and then target them in such a way for monetary gain is shocking."

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