THE final member of a fraud gang who targeted vulnerable victims and robbed an 85-year-old man has finally been jailed.

Guljamal Din, 33 was due to be sentenced with his co-defendants in December but failed to appear at Preston Crown Court for his sentencing hearing.

Judge James Adkin issued a warrant for his arrest and Din appeared at the crown court yesterday and was sentenced to 20 months after admitting to two counts of fraud. He was jailed for a further 28 days for breaching bail.

The sentence means the gang, which Judge Adkin described as ‘despicable’ after two pensioners and a woman with learning difficulties were conned out of thousands of pounds, has now been jailed for a total of 24 years.

Storm McGowan, 26, of Walter Street in Oswaldtwistle, was found guilty of robbery and jailed for seven years.

Nathan Ashworth, 25, and Jake Ashworth, 23, both of Railway Street, Nelson, each admitted to robbery and fraud by false representation and were jailed for six years and three months and five years and five months respectively.

Glen Hardingham, 44 of Calder Street. Colne, admitted fraud and was jailed for nine months.

Mel Fagan, of Brentwood Road, Nelson, and Jones, of Sutherland Street in Colne, also each admitted to fraud and were jailed for 10 months and eight months respectively.

Prosecuting, Bob Elias told the court the initial offence took place in October 2014 involved 85-year-old Blackburn man Leonard Polden being conned into paying £800 for roofing work which had an actual value of £50. In November the same year Mr Polden was then robbed of £7,860 which had been kept in a cash tin under his bed.

The court heard the perpetrator of those offences were Nathan Ashworth, Fagan and getaway driver McGowan.

The following June, vulnerable victims Elaine Clements, who has learning difficulties, and Harry Haile, who is elderly and with limited memory, were targeted at their homes in Rawtenstall by the gang.

The court heard Mrs Clements had been conned out of more than £3,000 for roofing work which had never been done. That offence involved both the Hardingham, Ashworth, Jones and Din.

Mr Elias said a similar offence took place at the house of Mr Haile.

His daughter contacted police after discovering three payments totalling £8,600 had been made between June 15 and June 19, 2015. A further cheque for £3,300 had been pre-written.

The court heard analysis of Din’s phone showed he was in regular contact with Mr Haile and made a Google search for a Rawtenstall taxi firm which he called shortly before the first withdrawal was made.

Experts found no work had been done on the drains, the court heard.