Serial fraudster jailed for church charity con

A serial fraudster convicted 67 times for pretending to collect money for charity has been jailed – after he was caught having only been released from prison a week earlier.

David Armson's latest ruse was to trick kindhearted families by pretending to raise money for a landmark Birmingham church.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud at Sandwell Magistrates Court, where it was heard he had only been released from jail a week ago after he had completed part of a 12-week sentence.

Mrs Rachael Smith, prosecuting, told the court that members of the public alerted police to the suspected bogus caller in Duke Street, Rowley Regis on Monday. Officers found the 23-year-old at the door of a property on the street at around 5.45pm.

She said: "When the defendant saw the officers he posted the paperwork he had in his hands through the letterbox. He then made off from the police."

The officers caught up with Armson and he was arrested. Police made house to house inquiries and found that Armson had told residents he was collecting money for St Paul's Church in Birmingham. Two residents had given him £3 each. The police recovered the paperwork and found they were fake donation forms for St Paul's Church.

The court heard that Armson's 67 previous convictions for similar offences dated back to 2005.

Mr Gerry Vahey, defending told the court: "He fell back into his old ways in desperation for money to buy food." Magistrates jailed Armson, of Wesley Court, Old Hill, for four weeks and told him that he must also complete the remaining 34 days of his 12-week prison sentence.