Crooked Sheffield kitchen-fitter’s £12K con trick

Wayne Haslam agreed to provide granite worktops, appliances and kitchen units, in May 2016 and took deposits over the coming months, said prosecutor Susan Evans.

When he asked for the balance on August 30, 2017, the woman became worried but she felt she had no alternative but to pay him.

"He became more and more difficult to contact," said Ms Evans. "She visited his work premises and discovered there were no kitchen units. She called the police."

In a statement, Haslam's victim said she was "traumatised by his lack of understanding of the enormity of the situation."

The court heard he has previous convictions in 2000 and 2007, and received 18 months in prison in 2013.

Clarkson Baptiste, mitigating, said: "He started out in good faith. It has to be conceded that it descended into dishonesty.

"He did undertake work. He manufactured kitchen units. They were disposed of elsewhere.

"There were problems with her building projects. He was left holding these items. This was clearly a transaction that had broken down."

He called for a suspended prison sentence because of Haslam's health problems.

Haslam, 57, of Infirmary Road, pleaded guilty to fraud on January 23.

"It's clear to me that you are an intelligent and capable man," Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told him. "The problem is you're comprehensively dishonest."

Haslam was jailed for 18 months.