Craig Henderson’s single charge of fraudulent trading netted him thousands over three-and-a-half years (Picture: NCJ/Google Maps/Twitter)
A mobile fish seller who scammed vulnerable people out of £246,000 has been jailed.
Craig Henderson, 50, targeted customers as old as 105 using aggressive and manipulative tactics.
Victims across England were pressured in their homes into paying huge prices for fish that was often not safe for human consumption, Teesside Crown Court heard.
One victim described their purchase as appearing ‘unhygienic’ with lots of flies around it’.
Another said they became unwell after eating the fish – while others threw theirs away.
In some cases, money was taken without permission and many victims were not told of prices until the food was already in their freezer.
Most of Henderson’s victims were retired and vulnerable, with many living alone or suffering from serious health conditions, the court heard.
The 50-year-old, of David Terrace in County Durham, used various trading names including Scotland’s Finest, Atlantic Fisheries and North Atlantic Fresh Fish.
Most of Henderson’s victims were retired, with many living alone or suffering from serious health conditions (Picture: NCJ Media)
He was convicted following a prosecution taken by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council after an investigation by the National Trading Standards North East Regional Investigation Team.
His crimes spanned time between November 2017 and June 2021.
Henderson, with six previous convictions for 62 offences, pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading at Teesside Crown Court on May 4 this year.
He was jailed for five years and seven months, and was also handed an indefinite Criminal Behaviour Order, preventing him from doorstep selling.
A total of 110 victims provided a statement, and spoke of feeling coerced, conned and foolish.
One person was targeted four times and ‘felt obliged to buy due to his intimidating nature’.
Another victim described how she paid £370 for 36 packs of unlabelled fish which she had no chance to inspect after Henderson entered her home uninvited.
Henderson was jailed for five years and seven months at Teesside Crown and County Court in Durham (Picture: PA)
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: ‘Threatening older victims – including at least one aged over 100 – and intimidating them in their own homes shows utter cowardice.
‘Many victims were repeatedly targeted, giving the defendant money they could not afford to lose, just to make him go away.
‘Once again our team in the North East – who have carried out a number of prosecutions against illegal fish sellers – have stopped a ruthless individual in his tracks and prevented untold further harm.
‘I’m proud of everyone involved for their relentless efforts to identify and bring these criminals to justice.’
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Craig Henderson’s single charge of fraudulent trading netted him more than £250,000 in three-and-a-half years.