A fraudster who was previously convicted and jailed for conning a 93-year-old war veteran out of nearly £250,000 is back behind bars after failing to repay money stolen.

Veronica Robinson was jailed in 2017 after being found guilty of fraud and perverting the course of justice, following a lengthy investigation led by Dudley Council’s trading standards team. 

The investigation found that Robinson had begun cleaning the house of a blind Second World War veteran in 2013. She then took control of the victims life, purporting to be his carer, and isolated him from family, friends and neighbours who had previously helped care for him at his home in Halesowen.

Robinson then went on to manipulate the man into paying for a £190,000 house for her as well as regularly plundering his bank account and his life savings. She has since lost her appeals to overturn the criminal conviction.

Although the house paid for by the victim has been returned to the family, Robinson still had an outstanding order to repay money stolen from the victim under the Proceeds of Crime Act. As she has failed to repay the money, now more than £70,000 with accrued interest, Robinson was in Birmingham Magistrates Court last week and imprisoned for another 426 days for failing to comply with the order. Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member responsible for trading standards, said:

"Veronica Robinson did the unthinkable, cheating an elderly and vulnerable resident out of his life savings and our trading standards team has been determined to see this case through and ensure she repays the money.

"She has continued to deny ever stealing money from the victim and has evaded court orders to repay ever since she was found guilty. This case sends a clear message that we will investigate wrongdoing and support victims of financial crime."