Known conman targeted dementia sufferer with work offer on her Leeds home

Anthony Jarrett told the elderly woman, who has dementia, that he could carry out brick work on her property.

But CCTV fitted in her home by her family allowed police to later arrest the 48-year-old.

He admitted charges of dwelling burglary and fraud by false representation.

Leeds Crown Court was told that cold-caller Jarrett knocked on the woman’s door in the Belle Isle area on the afternoon of November 23 last year.

She came out of her backdoor and walked around to greet him. He walked into her home and said she required work on her property.

He told her he could do it the next day, but needed a £100 deposit.

She said she did not have that amount of money, so he said £10 would do, but again she denied having even that amount.

Jarrett gave her a false name, asked for a glass of water and he took a packet of crisps from her home and put them in his pocket. He then left.

He was arrested weeks later after being spotted by a patrolling officer who recognised him.

During his police interview, he said he was knocking on all the doors on that street offering work because he owed money to drug dealers.

Jarrett, of no fixed address, has 30 previous convictions for 84 offences, 48 of which are for fraud.

He was jailed in October 2023 for targeting a string of vulnerable people, including a cancer patient.

He was returned to jail in December last year after targeting three pensioners in the Seacroft area.

Mitigating for his latest crimes, Sam Roxborough said that Jarrett continues to struggle with crack cocaine addiction.

He said he was released into a shared house after his last prison sentence where drugs were prevalent.

Mr Roxborough said Jarrett was “devastated” by his own actions but added: “He is not himself when on drugs or withdrawing. He will do anything to fuel that habit.

“He hates himself for it but essentially, logic goes out of the window.”

Judge Alex Menary jailed him for 20 months.