Chertsey Conman Slapped with Eight Years for Ripping Off Elderly Couple
Hughie Smith, 49, from Fernlands Close, Chertsey, is heading to jail for eight years after pleading guilty to multiple fraud offences at Hove Crown Court on Friday, 3 March.
Joint Police Sting Cracks Rogue Trader Ring
The conviction follows a joint crackdown by Surrey and 1 and Trading Standards. The investigation uncovered a widespread rogue trader scam running across Surrey and Sussex, with Smith as the mastermind.
£180,000 Scam Targets Vulnerable Couple
In 2015, Smith conned an elderly couple in Knaphill by offering to fix a garden wall. He then bullied them into paying for unnecessary and shoddy home repairs – raking in a staggering £180,000.
Smith’s relentless follow-up calls raised suspicions with the couple’s son, who alerted police. The probe exposed Smith’s sickening scheme to fleece vulnerable victims out of huge sums under the guise of home improvement.
Detective Warns: Criminals Beware
Detective Constable Barnard said: “This is a great result following a very thorough investigation carried out in partnership with Sussex Police and Trading Standards. The lengthy prison sentence shows this criminal behaviour won’t be tolerated. Let it be a warning to others thinking they can con vulnerable people out of huge sums and get away with it.”
