TWO “despicable” brothers who conned a Solihull pensioner out of thousands to complete works have been jailed for a new rogue trader scam.
Errol and Timmy Flynn – of no fixed address – were jailed in 2013 for a rat catcher con in which they sneaked dead vermin into the homes of vulnerable residents and tricked them into thinking their homes were infested.
They took regular £2,500 instalments from one 76-year-old man, plus £25k from a Solihull gent in his 80s after telling him his home needed urgent treatment for woodworm.
Errol (52) and 41-year-old Timmy were jailed in September 2013 for 54 and 64 months respectively.
However, West Midlands Police found that within months of being released from prison, and while still on licence, the callous pair had adopted a new tactic to defraud pensioners – this time posing as roofers to rip-off trusting residents.
Timmy Flynn and Steven Craven (52) cold-called a couple in Northfield on in July 2016 claiming they’d spotted loose tiles which they offered to repair for £400.
But over the space of two weeks that estimate rocketed to £24,000 as the crooks conned their victims into believing they’d found rotten roof beams and needed extra cash for scaffolding and a hefty VAT bill.
An inspection later showed the men had pulled up tiles themselves and merely painted part of the roof to make it appear they’d carried out work – with some of the paint dripping down onto guttering and window frames.
At about the same time brother Errol and 38-year-old Karl Bean were using the same scam to persuade a Selly Oak man in his 70s to hand over a total of £33,500 for bogus roof and bay window repairs.
A suspicious neighbour noted down the registration number of a van seen coming and going from the address which West Midlands Police linked to Errol Flynn.
Another alert resident – this time an off-duty police officer – confronted Timmy Flynn on the doorstep of his Northfield victim’s home after overhearing him demanding an £11,000 VAT payment.
The officer alerted West Midlands Police investigators who found Flynn had used some of the money to buy an Audi A3 – part-exchanging a van registered to him and a motorbike belonging to Craven as part of the deal.
They also linked one of the mobile numbers used by the ‘roofers’ to Craven while calls from another were traced to Harrogate where Flynn had been staying in a drug rehab centre.
All four men were due to stand trial last year but the trial was postponed after the four entered guilty pleas at the last minute.
And at Birmingham Crown Court, Errol and Timmy Flynn were jailed for 59 months and 64 months respectively.
Craven, from Bushwood Road, Selly Oak and Bean, from Bean Croft in Woodgate Valley, were both imprisoned for 44 months.
Detective Constable Laura Hurry from the force’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “You hear the phrase ‘honour amongst thieves’ which suggests even criminals have moral boundaries and there are some levels they won’t stoop to.
“But these members of the Flynn family have no honour: they will trick and deceive anyone they can to make money, even the elderly or infirm.
“The Flynns seemingly will never change their ways. Residents across the West Midlands can feel safer with them behind bars – but I would urge everyone to remember their faces and if they ever come knocking on your door in future they should slam it firmly shut and call police.
“Our advice is never to accept work from an unsolicited ‘tradesman’ who comes calling at your door. Even if you do need home maintenance work doing, look around and secure at least three quotes before offering the job to someone.”
The Economic Crime Unit has started Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) proceedings against the men in order to try and recoup some of the stolen money.
If you suspect you have been defrauded by the Flynns then call West Midlands Police on 101.
