A ROGUE trader who swindled a pensioner out of thousands is back behind bars for failing to pay compensation.

Patrick Charles Lemmon helped himself to £26,000 of his victim’s cash for work he never did in Sussex.

The 59-year-old was a doorstep trader who ran the Regency Paving Company, Regency Home Improvements Company, and Regency Refurbishment Company.

It was based out of Cooden Sea Road, Little Common, Bexhill.

Lemmon was jailed after telling an 83-year-old victim from Hastings to hand over the huge sum of £26,000.

It was paid to him as five cheques, but cowboy Lemmon never started the work.

His victim received no paperwork, no quote, and no cancellation rights or receipts of payment.

At Lewes Crown Court he was jailed for three and a half years in 2018 following an investigation by East Sussex Trading Standards.

An independent building surveyor said that while a replacement pane of the glass was needed, the roof of the conservatory did not need replacing.

He said a fair and reasonable cost for both pieces of work combined would have been £1,305 inclusive of VAT.

After being convicted of two counts of fraud and seven counts of money laundering, Lemmon was ordered to pay £26,000 in compensation from seized assets.

But by January 18 he had only pay £2,200, less than ten per cent of the amount put in the confiscation order in April 2019.

So Lemmon, of St John’s Road, Polegate, was brought before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court this month.

For his lack of commitment to cough up the remaining £24,750 he was sent back to prison for 336 days.

East Sussex County Council’s lead member for communities Bill Bentley said: “A vulnerable pensioner lost tens of thousands of pounds to this unscrupulous trader and officers did everything they could to make sure at least some of the money was returned.

“Despite serving a prison sentence for his crimes, Lemmon has failed to pay back the money owed to his victim and this is simply unacceptable.

“We are pleased that the court has decided to take action and send Lemmon back to prison, and hope that this shows him how determined we are to return the money to his victim.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud contact Sussex Police on 101 or to report fraud or attempted fraud visit: actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Consumer advice and Trading Standards advice is available by contacting Citizens Advice on 03454 040506, or use their online reporting page which can be found at: eastsussex.gov.uk.