Two Men Jailed for Targeting Elderly Victim in £1.1 Million Property Scam
Two men have been slammed behind bars for a “calculated and predatory” fraud that ripped off a vulnerable elderly man out of more than £1.1 million. After a dogged four-year police probe, John Paul O’Connor, 37, and Tony Casey, 34, were sentenced to eight years each at Kingston Crown Court on February 7.
Groomed Victim to Seize His Home for Pennies
The conmen plotted a complex ruse, grooming the victim over 12 years to hand over his home at a fraction of its true value. Police spotted suspicious activity while probing Casey for another crime in late 2015, leading to the discovery of unexplained bank deposits and withdrawals.
- Victim first met the pair during building work on his home.
- Between May and August 2003, large unexplained cash withdrawals totalling £32,500 were made.
- In 2008, a relative of O’Connor snapped up the victim’s property freehold for a bargain £20,000 — when it was worth £500,000.
- By 2015, the victim’s home was up for sale at nearly £950,000 with a sitting tenant still in place.
Impostor Posed as Nephew to Sell House After Victim’s Death
After the elderly man died, Casey brazenly pretended to be his nephew or grandson, giving himself control over the victim’s assets. He instructed the victim’s solicitor to sell the house and revoke a lifetime lease granted to the victim as a tenant.
A family member’s tip-off in January 2017 blew the case wide open. She was shocked to find the victim’s house for sale, had no idea he’d died, and didn’t know the man handling the sale and funeral arrangements.
Police Praise Persistence in Catching the Fraudsters
Casey refused to prove his claimed family ties during an interview in 2017 and was later charged with fraud in 2018. O’Connor followed suit in 2019. Detective Constable Siobhan Cowlin praised the investigation:
“This was a truly horrible, calculated and predatory fraud where two men groomed and exploited a vulnerable elderly man. Without a family member’s alert, they might have gotten away with it. The hard work of the Met’s Financial Investigators was key to securing these convictions.”
