A heartless conman who stole nearly £500,000 from a terminally ill, elderly farmer has been jailed for more than six years.
Terry McGinlay, formerly of Carlisle and now living in Hertfordshire, defrauded a 78-year-old man from the Brampton area over a period of three and a half years, exploiting the victim’s cancer diagnosis and early-stage dementia.
Carlisle Crown Court heard that the victim, described as frail and vulnerable, spent his final days waiting by the phone, hoping McGinlay would return the money. He died before McGinlay admitted his crimes.
McGinlay, now convicted of two counts of fraud, also scammed an elderly couple in Workington out of over £1,200 by promising driveway work that was never carried out.
The first fraud involved £432,500, taken through 11 cheques. Prosecutor Caitlin McLachlan said suspicions were raised by Armstrong Watson, a local accountancy firm, who alerted the police.
McGinlay would visit the farmer regularly, inventing elaborate lies to solicit money – including claims he needed funds for a house purchase in Ireland. He even knelt before the pensioner, begging for loans he promised to repay, but never did.
The stolen funds funded a lavish lifestyle – including designer clothes, expensive meals (one costing £1,000), holidays, and a car purchased for a relative.
A friend of the late farmer said watching his distress was “cruel,” adding:
“He would wait by the phone, hoping that Terry would call so the money would be replaced into his bank account.”
In a separate offence, McGinlay took £1,230 from a couple needing driveway work, then taunted them after failing to deliver any service.
Defending, barrister Laura Miller said McGinlay struggled with alcohol and gambling addiction, and is “deeply sorry” for his actions. She added that he had used his time in prison “wisely.”
However, Judge Michael Fanning noted McGinlay’s previous 54-month sentence for blackmail, calling the case one of shocking exploitation.
“He was clearly a very elderly, very frail individual… You persuaded him to part with over £432,000. That money is unlikely to ever be recovered,” the judge said.
Despite a character reference from McGinlay’s wife, the judge described the fraud as “beyond the pale”, sentencing him to six and a half years in prison. McGinlay will serve around 40% of the term before possible release.
