“A PREDATOR” who targeted vulnerable and elderly people to steal cash and bank cards from their homes has been jailed.

Gary Cooper, of Odstock Road, Salisbury, cold called at his victims’ doors before entering their homes.

On October 21, last year, Cooper visited the home of a couple in their 90s in the Laverstock area and claimed they owned him money, Winchester Crown Court heard on Thursday.

Prosecutor Richard Tutt said: “(The victim) was in a state of distress and confusion.

“The defendant said he was seeking further payment for work undertaken at the home address.”

He entered the home and when the victim got his wallet out Cooper, of Odstock Road, Salisbury, stole around £60 in cash and made off.

The victim said: “My wife and I feel devastated. I cannot believe that anyone could act this way and prey on anyone with dementia and are in their 90s.”

Just seven days earlier, on October 14, the 56-year-old cold called at the house of an elderly woman in Trowbridge.

The victim went inside the house and as she looked for the money he rummaged around her house.

Cooper was given £40 by the pensioner, but he had also taken her debit card, which was passed to co-defendant Jamie Kerley, 32, also of Odstock Road.

Kerley took the card and took £500 of cash out at a One Stop shop and bought gold at Jonathan Green Antiques, in total nearly £2,000 was stolen.

In sentencing Cooper, His Honour Judge Robert Pawson said: “I have got no doubt you knew exactly what you were doing going door to door until you have got a soft target.”

He continued: “You are a predator. Your behaviour sickens other people.

“You are a man of no feeling, no conscious. You stop at nothing to fill your pockets - you target the most vulnerable.”

In March and April 2019 Cooper also targeted rural properties in Wiltshire stealing a number of items including a leaf blower, petrol hedge trimmer, alloy wheels and chainsaws.

He also handled stolen goods including a 20 bore Yildz over and under barrel shotgun and a quadbike. Cooper later told police where the gun was hidden.

His offending later stretched to Gillingham, in Dorset, where he trespassed onto a property and stole a Dewalt battery.

Cooper was also sentenced for a separate charge on for sending an indecent video of a child via Whatsapp on April 9, 2019, Cooper which showed the child having sex with an animal.

Mr Tutt said that the prolific offender had told police: “The video was a joke, it was meant to be funny.”

In mitigation, Laura Deuxberry said that Cooper is remorseful and has “found this stint in custody particularly hard because of the restrictions because of the pandemic.”

The court was told that he had caught Covid whilst in custody which was “horrendous for him”.

In mitigation, Kerley had said that he was given the card by someone he did not know and was told to use it.

In sentencing him, Judge Pawson said that Kerley’s defence was “absolutely nonsense”.

Cooper previously pleaded guilty to burglary, distributing a photograph of a child, possession of criminal property and theft. He was jailed for six years and nine months. He is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements for 10 years.

Kerley previously pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods. He was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. He must complete 200 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days.

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.