A brother and sister have been jailed for a total of more than three years after they admitted conning their way into the homes of a series of women in their 90s to steal cash.
Evelyn and John McPhee admitted targeting four victims – one aged 98, another a blind woman aged 93, and others aged 77 and 96 – at addresses in Dundee.
In the theft at the blind pensioner’s house callous Evelyn McPhee pretended her car had broken down outside and that she needed to use a phone to con her way in the door.
Once inside the shaking victim told McPhee “I think I’m geting things stolen” before the sick crook made off with £60 from her purse.
John McPhee carried out similar cons on the other three women – pretending to be a workman or enquiring about furniture sitting outside to get over the threshold before stealing and making off.
A sheriff jailed John McPhee for 32 months and Evelyn McPhee for seven months – and told them their crimes were “of the worst order of dishonesty”.
Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court that in his first crime John McPhee went to a 77-year-old woman’s door at 9.15pm and asked to talk to her about an armchair sitting in her garden.
He then asked for a glass of water before stealing the woman’s purse, containing bank cards and £15 cash.
Five days later Evelyn McPhee went to a registered blind 93-year-old woman’s flat claiming her car had broken down outside and that she needed to use a phone.
She then went into the bathroom before emerging and asking the woman if she needed help hanging out her washing.
The elderly woman was then seen shaking and told McPhee “I think I’m getting things stolen” as McPhee made off with £60 cash stolen from her purse.
The following day John McPhee went to a flat at a sheltered housing complex and conned his way in pretending to be a gardener.
He asked for a glass of water before telling his 98-year-old victim that he would return later with his tools and fleeing with two of the woman’s purses, containing bank cards and £49 cash.
And the next day he went to a 96-year-old woman’s home claiming he was there to “check the walls” of the property.
McPhee was repeatedly asked to leave but instead walked round the flat before asking for a glass of water.
As the woman ran the tap he made off with £52 in cash.
Evelyn McPhee, 32, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh, pleaded guilty on indictment a stealing £60 in cash at an address in Byron Street, Dundee, on May 6 2018.
John McPhee, 34, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to stealing from addresses in Dundee’s Caird Terrace on May 1, Glenesk Avenue on May 7 and Tannadice Street on May 8.
He was on two separate bail orders at the time of the thefts.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed John McPhee for 32 months and Evelyn McPhee for seven months.
He said: “These offences are offences of the worst order of dishonesty.
“You have targeted members of our society, preyed on them and taken advange of their vulnerability.
“You both have bad records which include dishonesty and a custodial sentence is inevitable.
“These will reflect the disgust of the citizens of Dundee and hopefully discourage others from committing such crimes.”