'Despicable' swindler faces prison

A jury at Bradford Crown Court took just over two hours yesterday to find Andrew Harding, from Halifax, guilty of obtaining an estimated 15,000 from 71-year-old widow Brenda Nicholls by deception.

For more than three years the pensioner, who has a learning disability and lives in sheltered accommodation, handed over cash from her weekly allowance to Harding after he said the money was being saved for their "wedding fund".

During Harding's trial the jury heard how Mrs Nicholls, who was under the care of Calderdale Social Services, believed the couple were going to be married despite their age gap and made regular bus trips to have secret meetings with the defendant.

Harding, of Poplar View, was questioned by police after a support worker raised concerns about the relationship in August last year and during an interview he said he never had any intention of marrying the widow.

Sentencing has been adjourned for reports.

Judge Alistair McCallum granted Harding bail until the next hearing on December 14 but warned him that he had been found guilty of a very serious offence and there was a real prospect of him serving a prison sentence.

After the case Detective Sergeant Bill Hargreaves said: "It is fairly obvious it is a despicable crime against an elderly vulnerable victim that was made worse by the fact that she had to suffer the trauma of giving evidence to the crown court."