A GARDENER who conned a 92-year-old woman out of more than £22,000 by getting her to sign blank cheques for him to cash has been jailed.

Nigel Vause targeted the housebound pensioner over a period of six years, by befriending her and gaining her trust.

She signed blank cheques for work he did at her property and trusted him to fill in the right amount for the hours he worked.

But Vause systematically conned his frail victim — and was yesterday imprisoned for two years for his crimes.

Sitting at Bury Magistrates Court, Recorder Paul Reid QC branded Vause as a “despicable” fraudster whose “rampant greed” led him to cheat a proud elderly lady out of her life savings.

Rod Priestley, prosecuting, said that Vause, aged 51, of Midford Drive, Sharples, gained the trust of his victim after he was recommended to her by a neighbour.

He met his victim, who has asked not to be named, in August, 2001, and worked for her as a gardener and handy man.

Mr Priestley said: “She would sign a cheque for him for the work done at her property and leave him to fill in the amount, based on the number of hours he had worked.”

The pensioner, who once owned a Bolton clothes shop, believed Vause was charging £5 an hour and he would work roughly two-and-a-half hours a week.

At the time Vause was receiving incapacity benefit and to avoid being found out, asked the victim to make the cheques out to other people who would cash them for him.

“The defendant quickly learnt to abuse his position of trust and began to steal from her,” Mr Priestley said.

This arrangement continued until May, 2007, when the pensioner finally realised that thousands of pounds were being siphoned from her accounts and alerted her family who reported Vause to the police.

By this time, the victim had so much trust in Vause that he had his own set of keys to her house.An investigation revealed that Vause had been gradually stealing more and more money.

In 2004 he stole £4,995, in 2005 £6,170, in 2006 £7,740 and in 2007 he stole £2,100 in April alone.

The court heard that the overall amount he stole was more than £22,000.

Vause pleaded guilty to six counts of theft and one count of fraud after he failed to declare that he was working while claiming incapacity benefit.

It is estimated he was overpaid between £15,000 and £25,000 in benefits.

The court heard that during the time he working for the woman he bought and sold a BMW and had a conservatory built at his home.

Bob Sastry, defending, said Vause was ashamed of his actions and sorry for what he had done.

Sentencing him to two years in jail, Recorder Reid QC said: “You decided, in effect, to help yourself and in 2007 your greed became rampant. She looked on you as a friend, as someone she trusted.

“She is now embarrassed and frustrated that she allowed you take advantage of her in such a despicable and sneaky way.”

Det Con Pam Chandler, from Bolton CID, said: “What Vause did was unforgivable.

“He saw an opportunity to line his own pockets and his conscience did not stop him from conning this poor woman.”

Vause’s assets have been frozen and a Proceeds of Crime investigation has begun.

A spokesman for the woman’s family said: “She thought she could trust him.

“It’s very sad that he has done this to her and she f