A tradesman seeking to mend his ways after being jailed for fraud has been back in trouble for flouting a court order.
Ralph Brook,49, was handed a 43-month jail term in late 2021 after he admitted three fraud charges. Brook was caught on a covertly-installed camera targeting a 96-year-old dementia sufferer living alone having fleeced him of more than £5,000.
As part of his punishment, Brook was ordered to follow the terms of a 10-year criminal behaviour order, aimed at preventing further offending and protecting the public.
He was banned from approaching any householders in England and Wales, offering to carry out work on their homes; and from working at any dwelling other than his own.
A copy of the order was sent to Brook at Durham Prison. Previously of Brough, near Kirkby Stephen, he left custody in August and moved to Carlisle.
City magistrates heard that police were alerted by a bank on Wednesday to a “suspicious transaction” as someone tried to pay heavily-convicted Brook £5,000 for building work at his home.
Police went to that Carlisle address. “They saw this defendant carrying out building work with tools scattered about,” said prosecutor Andy Travis.
Initially tasked with a small job, Brook was asked by the householder to fit a new bathroom and radiators.
Following his prison release, he was helped by the probation service to obtain qualifications and advertise his services as an experienced heating and plumbing engineer.
Crucially, an administrative error meant the probation service had no record of the court-imposed order.
Defence lawyer John Greenwood said: “It is accepted the order was made but the terms didn’t register (with Brook).”
There was no suggestion of any concerns or fraud with the Carlisle job. Probation were not seeking Brook’s return to prison.
“He has worked hard,” said Mr Greenwood, “to get his life back on track. It is purely and simply that he hasn’t stuck to the wording of the order.”
Magistrates committed the case for sentence to Carlisle Crown Court on March 31 and in the meantime granted Brook bail.
