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n NEWS A CHIPPING Sodbury pensioner was conned out of nearly £26,000 by a man who carried out unnecessary work on his house. John Docherty, 42, of Rochester, Kent, has now been sentenced to two years and three months in prison after admitting five counts of fraud when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court. Docherty, who also uses the names John Casey and “Frank”, targeted the 73-year-old man in May 2016 by cold calling at his home. He said his name was Frank, that he had been working on a neighbouring property and had noticed excessive moss on his roof, which he offered to remove for £350. The resident agreed for that work to be done. A number of men worked on the property and during the next month, Docherty claimed numerous other problems
Rogue trader jailed for conning Chipping Sodbury pensioner needed immediate attention. They included repairs to roof tiles, pointing of walls, strengthening waterlogged roof timbers and strengthening the A-frame in the roof. Fearful for the condition of his property, the resident agreed to all of the work being carried out but all payments were requested in cash and the pensioner was told not to tell the bank why he was withdrawing the money. In total, Docherty was paid £25,800 for the work during May 2016. Docherty then claimed a further £20,000 of work was necessary to replace the damp
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proof course and for silicone injections in brick work. He pressurised the pensioner to have the work done and said if he didn’t, he would report him to the local authority as someone who was living in a property unfit for human habitation. He also refused to continue with other work already paid for until the £20,000 was paid. The case was investigated and successfully prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council’s trading standards team. Working with Avon and Somerset Police and acting on a tip off, a police officer was waiting at the property when Docherty arrived to collect the
£20,000. He was arrested and charged but then absconded to Ireland and failed to appear for an initial court hearing in October 2016. An application was made for a European Arrest Warrant and Docherty was finally arrested in Hampshire in September 2017 on an unrelated matter and taken into custody in Bristol. A surveyor said it was difficult to justify why any of the work carried out it was necessary and described the workmanship as very poor. Prosecution costs, compensation and Proceeds of Crime Act matters will be dealt with at a later hearing.
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Searching for owls in forgotten landscape OWL expert Ian McGuire will lead an afternoon safari to seek out the migrant short-eared owl and other birds of prey around Aust. The event is part of the Forgotten Landscape natural and cultural heritage project, which aims to conserve and improve the lower Severn Vale levels. Those going along on Sunday, January 14, might also see merlins, kestrels and peregrine falcons. Bookings can be made by visiting the project website www.
January, 2018
Alveston event raises money for cancer charity
aforgottenlandscape.org.uk where details of other events can also be found. The project covers the foreshore and coastal floodplain of the River Severn from Oldbury-on-Severn, Shepperdine and Hill in the north to Avonmouth in the south and includes the South Gloucestershire parishes of Almondsbury, Aust, Hill, Oldbury, Olveston, Pilning, Rockhampton and Severn Beach, as well as Avonmouth and part of the Kingsweston ward in Bristol.
Ancient cider custom planned for Littleton orchard A TRADITIONAL wassail will be held in Littleton-on-Severn to bless a cider orchard to encourage a good crop of apples. A Wassail Queen and Green Man will toast the trees and scare off evil spirits in the orchard behind the White Hart pub from 7.30pm on Friday, January 12. There will also be songs and a Mummers play by the Barley Rye Choir, supported by the Get Singing Community Choir. Food and cider, including mulled cider, will be available around a bonfire during the evening, which has been organised by the Littleton Lifesavers Cider Club.
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THE Thornbury branch of Cancer Research UK has handed over a cheque for £10,000 after a Christmas event at St Helen’s Church in Alveston. “Sip`n Sing” saw the quartet Betar Brass accompany carols. St Mary's Handbell Ringers performed and there were also poems and stories. The evening raised more than £900 and a cheque for £10,000 was presented to Nikki Collins a Senior Cancer Research UK Manager by the Thornbury branch chairman Lynfa Fisher
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