A CONMAN who targeted pensioners in Stourbridge and Halesowen to pocket hundreds of pounds from telling them sob stories has been jailed for four years.

Judge Martin Walsh at Wolverhampton Crown Court said the offences committed by 44-year-old Darren Hemmings were “utterly disgraceful crimes committed against elderly and vulnerable victims”.

He said Hemmings, who has a long list of previous convictions for similar offending, “prayed on their generosity” - urging them to hand over cash which he used to fund his drug addiction.

The judge said the kind-hearted pensioners, aged between 79 and 85, opted to make benevolent contributions to Hemmings because he maintained he had been hit by a string of problems.

Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said Hemmings told people he desperately needed money for a taxi to visit his pregnant wife who had been rushed to hospital after a fall.

He also told a 94-year old-man in Oldswinford he needed £65 because he said he was a neighbour of his and the money was to help him pick up a lorry for a firm in the area.

Mr Phillips added that a 79-year-old man in Halesowen handed over £20 to get Hemmings out of his home because he was frightened about what might happen despite the fact no threat had been made towards him.

The court was told Hemmings maintained there was some assocation between him and his victims and he exploited their trust and vulnerability. The total amount of money taken was just over £300 but his callous crimes had a significant effect on his victims, Mr Phillips said.

Hemmings, of Hurcot Road, Kidderminster, admitted seven charges of obtaining money by deception and he asked for seven other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Mr Phillips said there were 29 similar offences on his record - 19 involving victims aged over 60 and ten involving people over 70.

Oliver Woolhouse, defending, said Hemmings had relapsed back into using Class A drugs and as a result had resorted back into his "old habits."

He added: "He resorted to what was a tried and tested method of getting small amounts of cash to fund his drug addiction. He now says he has had enough of his own behaviour and going in and out of prison."

Mr Woolhouse said Hemmings had set up a drop-in centre in Kidderminster to help people with drug problems when he was himself drug free and concluded: "He knows he has let himself down and let his partner down."

The judge said Hemmings had numerous opportunities in the past to resolve his drug problems and he had failed "woefully" to work with the support of the probation service.