Builder Jailed for Stealing £23k from Vulnerable Elderly Client
Builder Andrew Nichols, 43, from London Road, Sheffield, has been slammed to prison for ripping off more than £23,000 from an 85-year-old widower he befriended back in 2003. What started as a simple working relationship turned sour when Nichols began controlling the elderly man’s finances and pension as he grew frailer.
£23,000 Swiped for Pubs, Fuel and Days Out
Not content with just one pension, Nichols redirected the man’s hard-earned cash into his own account. When the victim moved into a care home in 2016, Nichols kept using his bank card like it was his own, splashing out on building materials for his business, fuel, pub nights, and even trips to Nando’s, bowling, and adventure golf.
Detective Constable Richard Tanswell from Sheffield’s Financial Crime Investigation Unit exposed the scam after spotting the odd spending pattern in 2019.
“The spending was far from typical for an elderly gentleman in a care home. That’s when my suspicions were raised,” said DC Tanswell.
House Left in Disgrace, Van Abandoned on Drive
When police raided the victim’s home, they found it in chaos—rooms littered with building materials and rubbish. Nichols had turned the house into his personal storage unit and even abandoned his old white Transit van with flat tyres on the driveway.
Family members had warned the victim about “Andy the builder” exploiting him, but the trusting old gentleman thought Nichols was just “helping out a friend.”
Boozy Builder Shows No Real Remorse
In custody, Nichols claimed he planned to pay back the stolen cash, but officers weren’t convinced.
“The only thing he’s sorry about is getting caught,” DC Tanswell said.
Sadly, the victim passed away in September this year. Nichols pleaded guilty on 27 October to fraud totalling £23,261.32 and was sentenced on 4 December at Sheffield Crown Court to 27 months behind bars.
“I hope the victim’s family can find some closure after this horrific betrayal of a lonely, vulnerable man,” DC Tanswell added.
