Prison sentence for Lisburn conman

Henry Douglas, from Flush Park in Lisburn, is currently serving a prison sentence for conning scores of people out of money, was due to stand trial on a charge of fraud by false representation.

However, Douglas’s barrister asked that he be re-arraigned on the single charge.

The 52-year old - who was handed a prison sentence in May and branded a cynical conman who exploited his victim’s difficulties - pleaded guilty to a single count of fraud, which occurred on September 6 last year.

He was handed a 21-month sentence, half of which will be spent in prison with the remaining half of the sentence on supervised licence upon his release from custody.

The prosecutor said: “He recognised Mr Douglas as being the man Gordon who came to his house and took the £40 from him.”

When he was arrested, Douglas admitted taking out an ad in the Yellow Pages but denied being the person who went to the pensioner’s home and took money from him.

However, he subsequently admitted a charge of fraud by false representation.

Defence barrister Peter Coiley said his client’s guilty plea saved the elderly victim travelling from Enniskillen to Belfast to give evidence at a trial. He also said Douglas had “seen the error of his ways.”

Telling Douglas that the victim on this incident was a “vulnerable elderly gentleman,” Judge David McFarland spoke of his past convictions for similar offences before handing him the 21-month sentence.