Tipton conman targeted bereaved parents
A supposedly reformed criminal and charity worker conned a grieving couple who had set up a foundation in their son's memory.
Michael and Claire O'Brien described Simon Davey as 'despicable' after he pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud.
Davey, of Tipton, who several years ago served an eight-month prison term for defrauding his employer out of £17,000, spent a year posing as the O'Briens' friend, only to con them out of nearly £300.
The couple founded the Dylan O'Brien Foundation following the death of their four-month old son in June 2010.
Kelly Crowe, who was prosecuting at Telford Magistrates Court, said that Davey, who volunteered for a Shrewsbury-based prison charity after serving his own jail sentence, befriended the bereaved Welsh couple via Facebook.
She said the defendant had 'targeted vulnerable victims'.
He took a £250 fee plus £49 for a banner, promising them publicity for their cause at a black tie corporate sponsor event that was being held in London.
The couple contacted the police because they had not heard from Davey and were concerned for his welfare.
But they were informed that he had become an inmate at HMP Birmingham and that they had not been booked into the corporate event as they thought.
Davey, gave his address as Arthur Road, Tipton, when he appeared by video link to plead guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation.
The court was told that in June 2014 he had been given a six-month sentence for similar matters.
Davey will now be sentenced later at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
In 2012 Davey, who then described himself as a reformed criminal, met with Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski to discuss help for prisoners upon their release.
Mr O'Brien said the impact of his crime had been devastating.
He said: "He almost destroyed the launch of our charity.
"If it wasn't for the generosity and donations from the public we would have gone under," he said.
He described Davey as a 'despicable' human being.
