Plumber could be jailed over conning former nurse

The Observer told a month ago how self-employed Gary Seabrook, 41, of Ashford in Kent drove former Bexhill Hospital nurse Wendy Burbidge from her Barrack Road cottage to her bank and post office to withdraw a total of 5,255 for seven hours' work.

Under Seabrook's direction, she withdrew more than 1,025 in cash, including three weeks' pension, and authorised payment of 4,230 by debit card.

Miss Burbidge's grieving cousin, Brenda Soanes, told the Observer she believes the shock and shame of being conned hastened the death last September of her 73-year-old relative, a happy and popular community figure.

In a case brought by East Sussex Trading Standards, Seabrook pleaded guilty to six charges of deception when he appeared before magistrates at Eastbourne in February.

Now magistrates sitting at Eastbourne last Thursday have decided that Seabrook should receive a greater punishment than the maximum six months in jail and 5,000 fine have power to inflict.

Seabrook took two days to clear the drain, charging 180 an hour. Trading Standards say the work could have been completed in less than four hours and that an honest plumber would have charged no more than 100 and that even at Seabrook's inflated rate of 180 an hour not more than 600.

Miss Burbidge called her usual plumber after sewage blocked her bath. But he was on holiday and she found Seabrook through Yellow Pages.

Seabrook told Miss Burbidge he would need to buy equipment including a suction pump to clear the drain and a cutting machine to remove tree roots invading the drain.

Trading Standards officers found that no roots had been cut. Seabrook told journalists as he left court: "I'm not a scumbag."