A fraudster who scammed a blind man out of £185,000 has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison. Mark Stanner, 42, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, used a call center as a front to bombard his victim with deceptive phone calls, texts, and emails over a four-year period, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
Stanner falsely claimed that the victim, a man in his 50s, owed money to publication companies for advertisements promoting his piano tuning business. Initially, the demands were small, but they escalated over time, becoming more aggressive and frequent. In one alarming instance, Stanner threatened to take the man’s property if he didn’t pay £4,000 within the hour.
Despite the victim’s requests for Stanner to cease contact, the demands continued. To meet the growing financial pressures, the victim borrowed money from friends and family, even needing to purchase braille software to decipher the false invoices created by Stanner.
Additionally, it was revealed that Stanner had been gambling with his ill-gotten gains. He involved accomplices to further conceal his crimes: Marvin Scott, 41, allowed £48,000 to flow through his bank accounts, while Stanner’s sister, Martina Turner, 44, deposited £31,000 of the victim’s money into her account. Turner received an 18-month suspended sentence with 200 hours of unpaid work for her role in the conspiracy.
Marvin Scott was sentenced to 31 months in jail after pleading guilty to the same charge.
Detective Constable Michelle Wilkinson stated, “Stanner has shown no remorse throughout our investigation and actively sought to conceal his finances by enlisting the help of Turner and Scott. This case demonstrates how easily people can fall victim to convincing fraudsters. The victim was vulnerable, and Stanner exploited this situation. I hope he spends his time in jail reflecting on the consequences of his actions.”
