A conman duped elderly Sydney Manett out of more than £300,000 after promising to build wind turbines as an investment opportunity.
Sydney, 90, paid two lots of £154,862 to buy one for each of his sons Gary and Stephen, as an endowment.
His plan was that they’d sell electricity to the grid and make a profit.
But fraudster Robert McKechnie, 72, took the money and ran, a court heard.
He admitted three counts of fraud when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
Two involved Sydney, and a third against another victim, a woman from St Fergus, Aberdeenshire, who handed over £78,435.
The turbines never materialised – and McKechnie eventually ran out of excuses before his victims went to the police.
McKechnie, whose address was given in court papers as Crofthead Holiday Park, Ayr, admitted three counts of fraud.
All three incidents happened between March 1, 2010, and October 1, 2013.
McKechnie’s case was adjourned until next month so reports can be written.
Sheriff Philip Mann said: “These are clearly serious charges involving very significant sums of money.
“All sentencing options will be open, including a custodial sentence.”
After the hearing, Sydney said: “This fraud has had a huge impact on my family. What this man did to us was terrible – absolutely horrendous.
“The money he defrauded us out of was supposed to provide for my family’s future and now he has taken that away from me. It left us in a very bad situation.
“I would like to see efforts made for this man to be made to repay as much of the money to us as possible.
“If that cannot happen, he should have to serve a severe sentence.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/conman-duped-oap-out-300k-21389176
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