Jail for conman who targeted elderly woman
A conman who forced an elderly woman to go to her bank and hand over a cheque for €6,000 has been jailed for five years by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Joseph Gamble (aged 46), a father of three with an address at Ballyspillane, Killarney, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to stealing the €6,000 cheque from the victim on June 4, 2003 in Dublin.
Detective garda David Ennis told Mr Sean Gillane BL, prosecuting, that Gamble had so intimidated the then 85-year-old woman by repeated calls to her home on the pretext of carrying out work that she had not ordered, that she gave him the money for her life.
Judge White said Gamble’s guilty plea had come late and after the victim had attended the court on one other occasion when his scheduled trial couldn’t proceed because no judge was available.
He said that if convicted by a jury, the appropriate sentence would have been 10 years. He backdated the five-year term to start from July 30, 2004 when Gamble went into custody.
Det Gda Ennis said the build-up to the crime began in May 2003 when a man knocked on the woman's door and told her she needed painting as well as roofing and gutters repair work done.
A ladder had already been placed at the wall.
The woman said Gamble and a young man then spent the day "fooling around" and eating out in her garden while sometimes going up and down the ladder.
At the end of the day they said she owed them money. This pattern was repeated on at least three more occasions with men coming to her house, saying they were carrying out repair work and other renovations for which she was told she owed them money .
She got a phone call on June 4, 2003 from a man who said he was "Joe Gamble" and he told her someone would call later to collect money she owed him. She didn’t know what he was saying.
Det Gda Ennis said that shortly after than a young man came to her door, rushed at her and shouted and intimidated her. She was so frightened she handed over the cheque.
Investigations began after she lodged a detailed statement with gardai and Gamble was nominated as the culprit. He was arrested on Anglesea Street, Cork in March 2004 but denied any wrongdoing. However, his version didn't tally with the victim’s details.
Det Gda Ennis said none of the money was ever recovered. Gamble had 10 previous convictions for similar deceptions carried out mainly in the Munster area but also in Wicklow.
