‘Despicable’ pair preyed on elderly


TWO fraudsters have been jailed for a total of nine years after a scam in which elderly and vulnerable people were conned out of over £100,000. Oscar Yeboah and Jonathan Mintah chose their victims, who were mostly aged in their 80s and 90s. Theywere arrested during an investigation into 27 linked offences in London and Kent, including Maidstone, Bearsted andMereworth.


NHS cash keeps


drivers on road VOLUNTEER drivers who help patients keep hospital appoint- ments are to stay on the road – thanks to the local NHS. KCC cutbacks meant charities


like the Voluntary Action Maid- stone-run community car serv- ice, which had its funding withdrawn after 18 years, would have been unable to operate. However, the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has stepped in with £60,000. A spokesman for VAM, which highlighted the plight of the drivers earlier this year, said: “We are really pleased and re- lieved that the trust has listened to patients and local charities and have made this money available. The drivers provide a vital service.”


Victims were first targeted by phone with the caller claiming to work for either theMetropol- itan Police or a bank. The caller would tell them they had been the subject of a bank account fraud and a police officer would be calling to visit them. Yeboah or Mintah would con-


trol personal visits, using associ- ates so they were not seen. The victims would be told to place their debit card, PIN and bank


statements into a sealed enve- lope for the caller to take away. Thousands of pounds would


then be stolen from the ac- counts. During the frauds, the pair rented a luxury flat in a Thames Riverside development and hired expensive cars. The victims lost sums of up to £13,000. One of the victims–a91-year-


oldMaidstone woman whowas tricked out of over £7,000,


Ged cycles round county for charity


A LOVE of bike riding and a desire to support the Heart of Kent Hospice, Aylesford, gave Ged Hunter two good reasons to cycle the length of the Kent coast.


His solo achievement has raised at


least £3,000. Ged, of Loose Road, Maidstone, took


14 hours over two days to complete the route, from the River Darent inside the Dartford crossing to Rye on the Sussex border. A branch manager at BSS Industrial,


Aylesford, he said: “I stayed as close to the shore line as I could. I was very grateful for the support of my friend Chris Hayfield.” Donations to Ged’s appeal can be


made at www.justgiving.com/ Ged- Hunter. If you would like to raise funds for the hospice, call 01622 790195.


DownsMail Business Focus Suffering from high fuel bills?


PROPERTIES without a mains gas supply have been hit worst by the rising cost of gas and oil. Homeowners in rural areas are looking for more cost effective


ways of heating their houses and wood fuelled appliances are increasingly popular. Wood burning stoves can be installed in virtually any size or


type of property, with or without an existing chimney breast. Wood burning boiler stoves can be linked up to an existing heating system to provide a secondary source of heat, while biomass boilers can replace an oil or LPG boiler altogether. Local company Heat & Home are heating experts and can integrate wood burning appliances with your gas or oil systems, or install a biomass boiler. As HETAS and Gas Safe registered installers they are well placed to advise their customers on their options. Co-founder Jo Alsop explains, “customers come to us with £2,000 fuel bills and want to find ways of cutting them right down. We work with them to incorporate wood burning products that suit their home and their pocket and provide material fuel savings. The Government have also recently extended their premium payment scheme where


18 Malling


spoke out to warn others. She said: “Not only have these con- men taken my money, but they have also taken my pride. “I feel extremely embarrassed


that I fell for the scam, but clearly I am not the only one who has been taken in by their lies. I thought they were trying to help me, but they were just trying to get my money.” Yeboah (27), of Ilford, was


jailed for four years and Mintah (26), of Forest Gate, London, was sentenced to five years. Both pleaded guilty at Maid- stone Crown Court to conspir- acy to commit fraud through false representation between December 2010 and March 2011. Det Con Don Share, who led


the investigation, said: “The ac- tions of these conmen are des- picable, preying in every case on the elderly and vulnerable. “They thought nothing of stealing, in some cases, an entire lifetime’s savings. It is unfortu- nate several of the victims have now passed away without see- ing that justice has been done. “I am particularly grateful to


one victim from Bearsted, who felt able to help us raise aware- ness by taking part in a pro-ac- tive campaign in March last year,warning other elderly and vulnerable people to be extra vigilant.”


homeowners receive a lump sum back for installing a renewable energy system, which is £950 for a biomass boiler and £300 for solar thermal, which helps a lot.” Heat & Home will be exhibiting at Kent 20/20 or call them to discuss your options.


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