Drug user passed himself off as a gardener and put pressure on woman (87) for payment

A MILTON man was so desperate for money to buy drugs that he set himself up as a tradesman and pressured two vulnerable, elderly residents in Invergordon to employ him.

John Stewart (25), Old Mill Road, did some weeding for an 87-year-old woman, who was unhappy at the £60 she charged, but paid up.

And he was only stopped from undertaking painting work on behalf of an elderly man when his daughter - who kept an eye on her father via CCTV - intervened.

At Tain Sheriff Court yesterday, Stewart appeared for sentencing on three contraventions of the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations.

He had previously admitted engaging in ‘aggressive commercial practice’ at an address in Queen Street, Invergordon, on October 15, and applying pressure on a woman (87) to obtain payment. He also admitted on the same date entering into a contract with the woman but failing to provide relevant information such as his full name as a trader, a business address, a detailed breakdown of the work to be undertaken and arrangements for payment.

And Stewart admitted a third charge of similarly entering into a contract with a householder at King Street on October 14, but again not providing him with the information required under the legislation.

Procurator fiscal Roderick Urquhart said the incident involving the woman, who was upset, came to light after a neighbour spotted Stewart, and contacted police.

Regarding the Queen Street incident, the fiscal said: “I am aware that the man involved has various difficulties and his daughter has him under surveillance on CCTV. She called police.”

Defence agent Rory Gowans said his client was suffering from poor mental health and plummeted into drug use at the time.

Sheriff Gary Aitken imposed a six-month structured deferred sentence and warned Stewart that he he reoffended in a similar way, he would be jailed for the maximum term possible.