A CONVICTED rogue trader who preyed on a “vulnerable” retired schoolteacher and tried to scam her out of £38,000 is back behind bars.

Ronald Connors attempted to con Veronica Walsh whilst carrying out building work at her home in the Malpas area of Newport, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said the 43-year-old defendant, of Church Lane, Coedkernew, near Newport, had been jailed for 15 months in 2015.

On that occasion, Connors had pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in an aggressive commercial practice between July and December 2011 after targeting elderly people, in once case charging a 69-year-old woman £140,000 for £6,280 repairs to her house.

Mrs Walsh, who is in her 60s, found out about the defendant’s crooked past after doing some research into him and the court heard how he had tried to get money out of her by making a phone call to her from prison while serving his sentence.

Mr Bennett also said that Connors had even gone to the retired teacher’s home after being released from jail whilst wearing an electronic tag in a further bid to get more cash.

The judge, Recorder Nicholas Gareth Jones, heard how the defendant had estimated the cost of repairs for work on her drive, patio, roof and other parts of the house at £38,000.

Mr Bennett said: “The victim was a vulnerable mature person who knew relatively little about the costs of housing repairs.

“The defendant, seeing the opportunity of overcharging, put a lot more pressure to see how much money could be obtained.

“Ironically, Mrs Walsh told him she had been ripped off by people in the past and was glad she had happened upon someone trustworthy.”

The court heard she paid £14,200 for work carried out that trading standards estimated was worth £10,200, but she had to pay a further £3,000 to put some of this right, leaving her out of pocket by more than £7,000.

For the offence against Mrs Walsh, Connors pleaded guilty to fraud by representation, committed in 2015, on the day of his trial.

Adam Butler, mitigating, said his client was a family man who was responsible for a disabled son and had worked all his life.

He added: “The defendant fully intends to compensate Mrs Walsh.”

The judge jailed Connors for 16 months and made him the subject of a criminal behaviour order for 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay the victim compensation and prosecution costs totalling £12,334 as well as a surcharge of £100.