VICTIMS of a heroin addict who conned pensioners out of money to feed his drug habit called police after they saw his picture in the local press.
Both the Worcester News and our sister paper the Malvern Gazette reported in March how James Horrigan had used a variety of excuses to get elderly people to part with their cash.
The 38-year-old was jailed for 21 months after admitting 11 fraud offences and one charge of burglary.
But Horrigan was back in court this week after three more elderly victims came forward.
Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, told Worcester Magistrates Court how between September last year and January this year he went to the Malvern homes of Bryan Wall and Margaret Rodway and asked to borrow money to fix his car.
He took £50 in total from Mr Wall and £15 from Mrs Rodway.
He also flagged down Roger Beddow in Malvern between July and September last year, claiming his vehicle had broken down and ‘borrowed’ £30 from him, which was never repaid.
Horrigan, of St Kitt’s Close, Malvern, pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by false representation.
Mark Sheward, defending, said while in prison Horrigan had worked to tackle his heroin addiction. District Judge Nigel Cadbury sentenced him to eight weeks custody for each offence, to run concurrent to his existing sentence.
As he was being led out of the dock, Horrigan said: “I regret my actions.”
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