A roofer who conned a widower out of £93,000 has been jailed for seven years.

Sam Mitchell, 51, of Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, had been convicted of eight charges of obtaining money and cash transfers by deception.

His daughter, Emma, 28, of the same address, was convicted on a single count of assisting in the retention of the proceeds of criminal conduct and a second charge of facilitating the retention, use or control of criminal property.

Miss Mitchell was acquitted on four further counts following a six-day trial during which the jury heard how Leonard Heal, 80, had been fleeced out of more than £93,000 after Mr Mitchell arrived at his former Haywards Heath bungalow in January 2000.

Judge Michael Lawson QC told Mitchell as he passed sentence: "This sort of behaviour has been described as evil, outrageous, mean and devious - these all apply to you.

"It is not without significance, and a measure of your evil, that you knew not a year before you started work Mr Heal had been the victim of another cowboy.

"You are a man quite clearly without any principle, honesty or decency.

"You took him to the bank to get the cash, you made sure you were never seen and in hiding your illicit gains you were quite prepared to involve your own daughter."

The court heard how Mr Heal was forced to take out £80,000 in loans after Mr Mitchell overcharged him by "extortionate" amounts for unnecessary work.

By the end of November 2003 Mr Heal had parted with five cheques totalling more than £36,000, three of which were paid to Mitchell's daughter.

Throughout the trial her father claimed the cheques had been given to him as a gift by the pensioner and denied ever receiving any cash.

But bank statements revealed more than £55,000 disappeared from Mr Heal's account, forcing him to sell his home and leave Sussex.

Mr Mitchell confessed to five similar charges of obtaining property and cash transfers by deception.

Emma Mitchell is due to be sentenced next month.