A widower took out £80,000 in loans to pay for almost £100,000 of roofing work which was only worth a few thousand pounds, a court heard.

Leonard Heal, 80, told the jury at Hove Crown Court yesterday he used the money to pay a £93,930 bill for work carried out by Sam Mitchell at his former Haywards Heath home between January 2000 and November 2003.

Mitchell, 51, and his daughter Emma, 38, both of Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, are accused of conning the pensioner out of the money for work which allegedly cost a fraction of the price.

Sam Mitchell is pleading not guilty to eight charges of obtaining property and money transfers by deception and his daughter denies four charges of assisting in the retention of the proceeds of criminal conduct.

She denies two further charges of facilitating the retention, use or control of criminal property.

Giving evidence, Mr Heal explained how he had taken out a £20,000 bank loan and released £60,000 of equity on his bungalow months after Sam Mitchell arrived at his house unannounced.

Mr Heal said: "He (Mitchell) started doing the gutters and then said this wants doing and that wants doing.

"I was concerned about making sure the bungalow was in a good condition and agreed for him to do it.

"He would come round in his van and take me to Barclays and I would go in, draw the cash and give him the money."

Bank statements revealed Mr Heal had paid out more than £36,000 in cheques, some payable to Emma Mitchell, along with more than £55,000 in cash by November 2003.

Asked about his financial habits before meeting the defendants, Mr Heal claimed he would typically withdraw between £20 and £50 every month, paying bills by direct debit.

Mr Heal told the court Sam Mitchell had once described the pensioner as one of his "best friends", adding the older man's example had encouraged him to attend church.

Barrister Nicholas Hamblin, representing Sam Mitchell, questioned why the pensioner had only received one receipt for the works.

He claimed the two men had become friends and Mr Heal had given Sam Mitchell the cheques as a gift. Mr Hamblin said: "You indicated you had lost your wife, your family did not need money and you were happy to give gifts of money to Mr Mitchell."

The case continues.