Three Wards Jailed for 12 Years After Scamming Granny Out of £40k
Three men from the Ward family have been locked up for a combined 12 years after conning a vulnerable pensioner out of nearly £40,000. The shocking scam involved fake gardening jobs, relentless harassment, and a dodgy Rolex racket designed to rob the elderly woman of her life savings.
Fake Gardeners Target Pensioner
The nightmare began in October 2017 when 56-year-old John Ward, from Poole, Dorset, knocked on the victim’s door offering gardening services. But the work was never done — instead, it was the first step in a cold-hearted con.
Days later, 22-year-old Francis Ward, from Essex, turned up at her home, also demanding cash for fake work. When she refused to pay, the harassment escalated.
Sinister Scam Involving Fake Rolex Watches
Then enters 32-year-old Noel Ward from Wiltshire, bombarding the pensioner with phone calls demanding up to £22,000. Detective Inspector Andy Symes said:
“Noel Ward continually bombarded this elderly lady with phone calls, trying to wear her down into handing over cash to feed the Ward family’s greed.”
Noel spun a cruel tale that his son was dying of leukaemia and that buying expensive Rolex watches would help. The victim sadly bought £38,000 worth of watches before being told she needed to spend another £71,000 on more watches — a sum she thankfully never transferred thanks to alert bank staff.
Bank Staff Save The Day
Barclays staff called police when the pensioner tried to transfer £71,000 from her savings to current account. Their tip-off helped crack the case wide open.
Investigators also found the trio tried a similar scam on an 85-year-old man in Southsea, who luckily refused their dodgy offers.
Justice Served at Southampton Crown Court
John and Noel Ward admitted conspiracy to defraud and converting criminal property on the first day of their trial. Francis Ward was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Yesterday (Monday 4 March), John and Noel were each jailed for six years and ordered to pay back £37,800 to their victim. Sentencing for Francis Ward has been delayed.
Detective Inspector Symes added:
“This was a complex, lengthy case involving appalling cruelty towards an elderly victim. Thanks to the dedication of our officers, the Ward family will face justice.”
