A FRAUDSTER who threatened to break the legs of a man he scammed out of £26,000 has been sent to jail for his “despicable” crimes.

Michael Walker, of Uxbridge Road, Slough, ‘appallingly’ defrauded the ‘vulnerable’ man and his partner between 2014 and 2016 after falsely promising to secure a holiday and a home for them.

The 59-year-old, described as a “predator” by a judge, came up with a “series of excuses” for not delivering on his promises, including a lie about a fake cancer diagnosis.

Walker befriended the woman when her children were taken away by social services at a very “difficult” moment in her life, a court heard.

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The first instance of fraud came when Walker told the woman he could get her a solicitor to help her get her children back if she gave him thousands of pounds.

He then told the couple he could help to buy them a flat in Birmingham to get away from their problems at home.

The woman handed over around £19,000 from her benefits to help Walker secure the solicitor and the apartment, but neither of these promises materialised.

A fake skiing trip was then organised by the 59-year-old for the couple, who duly gave Walker around £5,000 to arrange the holiday for them.

A skier uses a button lift to ascend at the Lake District Ski Club on Raise, next to Helvellyn in the Lake District National Park, with Ullswater behind, after an unseasonal May snowfall allowed the reopening of the slopes. Picture date: Thursday May 6,

Generic image of a skiier. Image via PA.

However, like the other promises, Walker’s pledges did not come true.

Reading Crown Court heard how the couple was defrauded of around £26,000 in total, but the figure could be as high as £33,000 through other scams and blackmail carried out by Walker.

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Sentencing, Judge Sarah Campbell said Walker provided a “series of excuses” as to why his promises did not come true, including lying about a fake cancer diagnosis which supposedly prevented him from booking the skiing trip.

When questioned about the money by the couple, Walker made threats to them over the phone, told the man he would break his legs and promised to send bailiffs round to their property if they did not stop quizzing him.

This resulted in the couple being “too scared” to go to the police, with the man fearful of going outside and unable to sleep.

The woman “no longer trusts people”, Judge Sarah Campbell said.

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Sentencing, she said his crimes were “despicable” and “appalling”.

Reading Crown Court.

Reading Crown Court.

The Judge added: “You had a long history of dishonesty. You saw an opportunity to take advantage and better your own situation.”

Judge Campell handed Walker a prison sentence of four years and nine months after he was convicted of three counts of fraud and two counts of blackmail.

He will serve half of this before being eligible for release on licence.

Walker appeared at Reading Crown Court via video link on Friday, May 21.

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