Man jailed for attempting to steal cash from elderly Bexhill resident

Jimmy Stonestreet, 28, a gardener of Downash, Hailsham, was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison when he appeared on bail via videolink at Lewes Crown Court on Friday (June 12), police said.

He had pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates' Court on May 15 to fraud by false representation, according to police.

The offence related to an incident on May 13 against a 74-year-old man in St Mary's Close, Bexhill.

Police said the resident reported that, as he was returning home, a man - later identified through police enquiries at Stonestreet - had entered his flat unannounced and claimed to be owed £120 cash for guttering work he had allegedly carried out at an earlier date.

The resident refused to part with any money and the man left, police said.

Stonestreet was also issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) preventing him from trespassing on any commercial land; trespassing on any private property; cold-calling at residential properties looking for business; and having any item in public which could be used in the commission of a burglary, or theft of or from vehicles, a police spokesman confirmed.

Detective Inspector Mark Rosser said: "This was a great result by investigators based at Hastings who spent many hours meticulously seeking out evidence to support a charge against a despicable criminal, someone preying on the most vulnerable people in our community."