Ref. 9687-2A ROGUE builder who took cash deposits from potential clients and never carried out the required work has escaped jail.

Former Salvation Army officer Brian Timbrell, 63, of Oakford Walk, Walcot, appeared for sentence at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after earlier admitting two offences of obtaining money by deception.

At an earlier hearing before the same court in June, Timbrell was warned that he was likely to face a jail because of previous convictions for almost similar offences.

But at the end of an hour's hearing, Judge Julian Hall decided to impose suspended sentences of six months for on both counts the terms to run concurrently over two years.

A third similar offence, involving a potential client, Louise Wheadon of Radcliffe Road, Oxford, was ordered to remain on the file.

Timbrell was told by Judge Hall: "You are a sick man. I'm told you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, deafness, and possibly Alzheimer's, as well as having suffered three or four strokes.

"I am not going to send you to prison because of your medical condition and, because when you were dishonest, it was three or four years ago.

"But what you did was dishonest and you took their money of the people you said you were going to do work for."

Timbrell was also ordered to pay £300 compensation to Tony and Angela Gleed, of Elm Close, Wootton Bassett and a further £500 to Graham Fox, of Compton Bassett, near Calne.

Mark Watson, prosecuting, said that Timbrell. who traded as B&B Builders, "asked for cheques by way of deposits for work he agreed to do when he was in no position to provide the goods or services required."

Mr Watson said that when approached by both the Gleeds and Mr Fox, he told them he was involved with the Salvation Army.

Mr and Mrs Gleed were given an estimate of £4,200 for a new extension, and paid a cheque for £2,000 deposit in September 2000.

No work was carried out and Timbrell used the excuse that he was not in good health, repeatedly saying that he'd been ill and in hospital.

"He falsely claimed he had ordered the materials and then told the Gleeds that their deposit must have been lost in the post," said Mr Watson

Timbrell was said to have served 18 months' imprisonment in 1973 for 10 similar offences and had been declared bankrupt in 2001.

Defending, Peter Fortune, said: "These transactions coincided with a time when his health was beginning to deteriorate, as well as his relationship with his wife.

"He took the money at a time when there was no prospect of him doing the job. It was his medical problems which led him into this situation."

HIS EX-WIFE

TIMBRELL not only ripped off his customers, but his ex-wife as well.

He deserted Mrs Bridges, 73, after six years of marriage, leaving her with debts after the couple took out loans to help his business.

After hearing of his sentence she said: "I could just cry. He has got away with everything and has done all these poor people out of their money.

"He is a crook but people seem to feel sorry for him and nothing seems to go wrong for him.

"I lost everything because of him and was chased for his debts."

Mrs Bridges, of Walcot, was a widow when she met Timbrell and invested her savings in his business and shared a joint loan of £15,000. But she says she never received any money from his business in return.

The loans were secured on her house and now she is struggling to pay them off on her meagre benefits and pension.

"I could have been left homeless," she said. "He never cared too hoots about whether I was OK or not. It hurts so much."

VICTIMS

Tony Gleed and his family were ripped off to the tune of £2,000 by Timbrell.

Tony and his wife Angela, from Elm Close, Wootton Bassett, asked him to build an extension on their two children's bedrooms. Having taken the money, Timbrell did not return and the family went to a reputable builder to carry out the work.

Mr Gleed, 45, was told that there was no point in applying for compensation from Timbrell.

He said: "I don't think justice has been done. He has been doing this for so many years and now he has got away with it.

"We were hoping he was going to get a custodial sentence, but that's the world we live in. The law seems to favour the criminal, not the victim.

"It didn't matter to us whether he got two or ten years, he should have gone down."

He has not lost anything. It is frustrating if I walked into a shop and stole £2,000 worth of itsm I would be sent to prison. He stole £2,000 from me and is still free.

There were a lot of angry people around and he was the only one who was laughing."

VICTIM

In 1999 Dan Ludlow hoped to have a porch built for his Eldene home before his wife Sally gave birth.

Having seen Timbrell's advert in the Yellow Pages he asked the builder to carry out the work, and handed over £1,900 upfront half of the porch's cost.

Timbrell called at the house once more in his Salvation Army uniform to discuss the finer details. But that was it.

Mr Ludlow, 31, an engineer, said: "In hindsight I feel he used his position in the Salvation Army to make himself seem more credible.

"That is the main thing that got me. What cheesed me off the most is that the Salvation Army has said it was unaware of what was going on but I wrote twice with my concerns."

Tina Clarke