‘Friend’ jailed for £30,000 sting

Steven Hughes

A trickster conned a vulnerable man out of more than £30,000 of his savings.

Steven Hughes, of Chew Vale, Greenfield, knew his victim had just lost his job and received a lump-sum when he hatched a plot to take virtually all the money.

The 50-year-old father of three systematically took thousands of pounds from his victim after persuading him to sell his home through a business he claimed to own - then took even more by conning him into financing a deal importing furniture from Malaysia. Both were scams

Hughes then took another £10,000 by trying to blackmail his “friend”.

His victim had lost his job following an “inappropriate” approach he made to a woman. Hughes acted as a friend and confidante. He then claimed he had been contacted by a woman threatening to go to the press with details of a made-up sexual assault against his the man.

This woman - whom the victim wrongly believed was the one involved in his sacking - said she would drop the threat if he paid her £10,000. He agreed to pay and Hughes handled the payment.

After repeated delays and excuses by Hughes over the scams, the victim realised his trust had been misplaced and contacted police in May 2012.

Manchester Crown Court heard the victim was going through a difficult time because of the breakdown of his marriage and after suffering a mild stroke. The court was also told none of the money has been repaid.

Hughes, who pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and one of blackmail, was told by Judge Maurice Greene: “These were extremely serious and particularly mean offences.”

Hughes was jailed for three years for the fraud offences and two years for blackmail.