Two men have been sentenced to a total of seven and a half years in prison after admitting a string of frauds over a three-year period.

Wayne Hardy, 39, from Trinity Close in Newbold, Chesterfield was handed a four-and-a-half-year jail term and Kyle Simmen, 23, from Dukeries Crescent, Worksop, Notts received a three-year sentence.

The pair pleaded guilty to committing 28 counts of fraud between September 2016 and April 2019.

Their offences included proffering bogus goods for sale online, such as mobile phones, caravan holidays and rental properties, leaving victims out of pocket and without the goods they had intended to purchase.

The men also admitted to claiming to be a relative of the landlord of a property in Barlborough and instructing building work, which was never paid for.

They were sentenced at Derby Crown Court on Friday 18 October.

Detective Constable Liz Cross said:

“When we think about fraud we often consider the loss of money or goods, but rarely do we think about the emotional and psychological impact this crime can have upon victims.

“The victims in this case have lost well-earned family holidays, a roof over their head, a means of staying in contact with their loved ones.

“In some instances, victims have been left in significant financial hardship thanks to the actions of these two men who wished to make a quick buck by playing on the trust of those they ‘sold’ services to.

“Fraud is about much more than money or goods, it can have a lasting and detrimental impact on those who are unfortunate enough to be targeted by scammers.

“I hope that this sentence offers some semblance of justice to those who were affected by the actions of Hardy and Simmen.”

 

 

 

 

Wayne Hardy

Kyle Simmen