A CONMAN from Thatto Heath has been jailed after tricking vulnerable, elderly victims.

Stuart Vest persuaded an 81-year-old man to hand over £1,000 for cocaine and intended scamming him with custard power.

Vest, aged 57, of Dorothy Street, had already conned the man into handing over about £4,500 by claiming he could supply cheap cigarettes and whisky.

Vest also illegally used an 82-year-old dementia sufferer’s bank cards to withdraw £800, was jailed for a total of three years eight months.

Sentencing him to three years and eight months imprisonment Recorder Michael Smith told him: "You are before the court today to pay for the consequences of an appalling and cynical method of preying on elderly vulnerable single men.”

He also said Vest had even tried to "hoodwink" the author of his pre-sentence report.

Simon Duncan, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Vest "is a man who deliberately targets vulnerable victims, particularly elderly victims for his own benefit".

The court heard that he has a catalogue of previous convictions, which began in his youth and includes deceiving elderly men.

His latest offences began last February when he stole bank cards while staying overnight at the home of an 82-year-old friend.

Vest tricked his second victim into handing over money for cheap cigarettes and whisky and agreed to supply the 81 year-old with four grammes of cocaine.

The judge told Vest: "You never intended to supply him with cocaine, what you intended to supply was custard powder or some other innocuous substance."

Vest pleaded guilty to three offences of fraud and offering to supply cocaine.

Rebecca Tanner, defending, said Vest was “extremely embarrassed and thoroughly ashamed".