A COWBOY builder who fleeced a York pensioner of more than £20,000 has been told he is facing a prison sentence.

Judge Jim Spencer, QC, speaking after a jury at York Crown Court convicted Anthony Robert Turner, 43, on four charges of deception, and one of attempted deception, said: "It seems to me there is only one sentence here."

He then revealed that Turner, of Carrick Street, Hartlepool, was already serving jail terms for similar offences committed in Teesside and Newcastle.

He remanded Turner in custody until June when he will be sentenced, along with fellow cowboy builder Downes Alexander Aislabie, 38, of West View Road, Central Estate, Hartlepool.

Aislabie had pleaded guilty to the same charges at the start of the trial.

Aislabie disputes the amount out of which the two men cheated Thomas Medd, 76, when they built a driveway at his Acomb bungalow, using such shoddy workmanship that a chartered surveyor later said it should be completely redone.

The jury heard that the two men quoted a price of between £8,000 and £12,000 for the work, which was worth at most £5,000, and then persuaded Mr Medd to hand over more than £20,000 in cash and cheques for it.

Speaking after yesterday's verdict, Turner's barrister, Chris Tehrani said: "There is very little that can be said on behalf of my client."

He pointed out that during part of the deception Turner could not have received any money from Mr Medd because he was in prison at the time.

The jury took two hours to return their unanimous verdict at the end of the four-day trial.

After the hearing Mr Medd, a former accountant, said he was pleased with the outcome.

He said: "I'm relieved it's over. This whole thing has made me trust people less, but I will put it behind me now.

"I won't be vindictive towards him (Turner) but I hope he's learned his lesson."

Updated: 11:11 Friday, May 23, 2003