A ROGUE trader who took thousands of pounds from his victims, including a Liphook pensioner, has been ordered to pay back £145,000 by a court.

Albert Brazil, 58, of Amberley Close, Botley, was made subject to a confiscation order at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, August 19.

The confiscation hearing came after he was sentenced on July 13 to two years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud and two charges of money laundering.

In each case, Brazil approached elderly and vulnerable people in Liphook, Fareham, and Gosport in 2014 and claimed they needed work done to their homes.

He overcharged them for the work done, which was later found to be of low quality.

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Financial Investigation Unit worked on the case and looked at the amounts Brazil was paid, as well as others that were found in his bank accounts.

On Friday, Mr Recorder Clarkson QC made Brazil subject to a confiscation order totalling £145,000.

This included £11,667.50 to the victim of the Liphook fraud, a woman in her 70s, £8,561.50 to the victim of the Fareham fraud, a man in his 90s, and £458.50 to the victim of the Gosport fraud, a man in his 80s.

The rest of the total was made up of money found in Brazil’s bank accounts for which he could not provide an explanation.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Scott Lymbery, of Hampshire Police said: “I am happy that the victims in this case, who were vastly overcharged by Brazil, will get back their money.

“These orders were secured using the Proceeds of Crime Act. The power of this legislation has been used to claw back money from a man who targeted the elderly and vulnerable for his own financial gain.

“We will continue to use these powers to make sure convicted criminals have to literally pay for their actions.”

Further information and crime prevention advice on doorstep crime can be found here: http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/news-and-appeals/campaigns/Doorstep_crime