A JAILED con man has received a further three months in prison after admitting to tricking a pensioner out of more than £800.

District Judge Nigel Cadbury described Stephen Hodgkins as a “truly dishonest fraudster and trickster” after he pleaded guilty to cheating Worcester pensioner Brian Knight out of £847.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, told Worcester Magistrates Court that Hodgkins went to Mr Knight’s home and asked if he needed any work doing around his house.

The 67-year-old recognised Hodgkins from working for another firm some years before and asked him to remove and rebuild a garden wall, as well as carry out some other jobs.

Mr Knight rejected the first quote of £1,800, but accepted a second quote for about £800.

Miss Lovegrove said Hodgkins took a deposit of £480 and told his victim he would be in touch to arrange a date to start work.

Several weeks passed when the 42-year-old contacted Mr Knight and told him he needed more money for materials.Hodgkins had first promised to carry out the work on June 4, but he changed the date to June 19. However, Mr Knight was unaware the defendant had recently appeared in court and admitted separate fraud charges amounting to £5,800. He was jailed for two years on June 8.

Miss Lovegrove said, while in custody, Hodgkins wrote to Mr Knight explaining he had received an “unexpected” prison sentence and he would complete the work or repay the money on his release.

He initially denied he had intended to deprive his victim of the money without doing the work, but he eventually admitted his intentions had been dishonest.

Hodgkins, formerly of Chedworth Drive, Warndon, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud by false representation.

Sentencing, Mr Cadbury said: “You can only be described as a truly dishonest fraudster and trickster. “You, I find, did target a retired person who one could and should describe as a vulnerable victim.”

He jailed Hodgkins for three months to run consecutively to his existing sentence.